The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Conflict Management Strategies From the Nurse Managers’ Perspective

Everyday nursing work inevitably involves conflict. Healthcare workers may experience this as a result of diverse human beliefs, knowledge, values, or emotions. In order to effectively manage and lead the nursing staff in hospitals, a multitasking leader with a wide range of abilities is needed. Multiple elements, such as the leader's personality and overall workplace conditions, might influence effective managerial leadership. Effective management leadership is affected by multiple factors, such as the personality of the leader, the general conditions in the workplace, and the quality characteristics of employees. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and conflict management strategies from the head nurses’ perspective. Methods The study utilized a quantitative, cross-sectional correlation design. Twenty-one hospitals in the Aseer region that are affiliated with the Saudi Ministry of Health were included in this study. A non-probability sample consisted of 210 head nurses who have at least one year of experience working as head nurses or with managerial experience. An online questionnaire involving three sections - socio-demographic, trait emotional intelligence, and conflict management - were used. Results The study revealed that the level of emotional intelligence was average and that the level of conflict management strategies was high. Approximately three-quarters of the sample studied were female (78.1%), and for an educational level, the majority of participants had a bachelor's degree (62.4%). Regarding the working departments, 34.3% were in general wards, while 23.3% worked in critical care. Approximately two-thirds (62%) of the sample were married; 63.8% of the participants were Saudi, and 49% had fewer than three children. Also, gender identity and emotional intelligence were significantly correlated statistically. Likewise, the level of monthly income, marital status, and nationality are significantly correlated with conflict management strategies. Conclusions In the current study, emotional intelligence has no statistical correlation with strategies for resolving conflicts. While the relationship between subdomains of both main variables was negative, that ruled out an important positive relationship between cooperation and well-being. Teaching nurse managers about emotional intelligence might help them more effectively handle conflicts at work. Likewise, employing emotional intelligence practices requires nurse managers to lead by example, teaching their teams how to regulate their emotions and resolve frequent workplace conflicts.