The role of emotional intelligence and organisational support on work stress of nurses in Ibadan, Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Universally, nurses have been reported to be a group at high risk of workplace stress. However, nurses’ responses to stressful situations at work could be the outcomes of individual differences and organisational factors. OBJECTIVES: We examined the independent and joint contributions of four dimensions of emotional intelligence and perceived organisational support in work stress of nurses in a teaching hospital in Nigeria. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional survey research design, which selected 228 (41 male and 187 female nurses) nurses through the use of convenience sampling. Questionnaires comprising demographics with work stress, organisational support and emotional intelligence scales were administered to the sampled 228 nurses in the study. Data were analysed with the use of correlational matrix and hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: Self-emotion appraisal, others’ emotion appraisal, use of emotion, regulation of emotion and perceived organisational support were found to have joint contributions to explaining work stress among nurses. Others’ emotion appraisal, use of emotion and perceived organisational support were found to have independent relationships with work stress. CONCLUSION: Our findings stress that judgement of others’ emotions, accurate use of emotion by nurses and support from management of the hospital are most important in explaining their reactions towards work-related stress.