The Emotional Intelligence, Occupational Stress, and Coping Characteristics by Years of Nursing Experiences of Newly Hired Oncology Nurses

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the study was to compare and analyze the emotional intelligence, occupational stress, and coping characteristics of three groups of newly hired oncology nurses. Methods: Data for this secondary analysis were collected from a larger study of 114 newly hired nurses at a cancer center in the Northeastern United States. Survey data were collected using the EQi-2.0™, the Nursing Stress Scale, and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire. Dimensions of study measures were analyzed based on new graduates, 1–5 years, and >5 years of nursing experience. Analysis of variance was conducted among the three groups followed by Tukey pairwise comparisons analysis when P = 0.05. Results: New graduates scored significantly lower on the self-expression dimension (mean = 96.88; standard deviation [SD] = 13.27) than nurses with >5 years nursing experience (mean = 106.12; SD 15.02) ( P = 0.04), and the subdimension, assertiveness (mean = 94.73; SD = 13.87) compared to nurses with >5-year nursing experience (mean = 103.94; SD = 14.86) ( P = 0.03). Significantly higher sources of stress for new graduates were death and dying (mean = 16.45; SD = 3.37), and for the associations between the three nursing groups ( P = 0.001). New graduate nurses used the problem-focused coping strategy of accepting responsibility (mean = 14.06; SD = 7.28) significantly ( P = 0.006) more often than nurses with >5-year experience (mean = 8.54; SD = 4.25), and planful problem solving (mean = 16.76; SD = 5.27) significantly less often ( P =.001) than nurses with 1–5-year experiences (mean = 20.12; SD = 7.31). Conclusions: Dimension scores highlight the characteristics of nurses with varying levels of nursing experience onboarding at the same time. Findings may inform model-development for improving nurse-recruitment practices and retention strategies.

Profiling health professionals’ personality traits, behaviour styles and emotional intelligence: a systematic review

“…Global emotional intelligence scores varied in nurses from low [ 259 ] (1 study; n = 131), average [ 20 , 82 , 233 , 237 , 241 , 245 , 254 , 259 , 267 , 268 , 277 , 295 , 298 , 299 , 301 , 306 , 307 , 358 ] (18 studies, n = 2521), to above average and higher [ 79 , 230 , 231 , 238 , 249 , 262 , 290 , 310 ] (8 studies, n = 2011). Nurses also demonstrated average adaptability [ 233 , 241 , 245 , 253 , 264 ] (5 studies, n = 827); positive altruistic behaviours, commitment and emotional stability [ 238 ] (1 study, n = 170); and high emotionality [ 228 , 252 ] (2 studies, n = 582).…”

Intern nursing students’ perceived barriers to providing end-of-life care for dying cancer patients in a death taboo cultural context: A qualitative study

“… 44 The insufficient attention on grief management strategies in education and professional practice in China 10 would only lead to negative consequences among intern students, such as emotional fatigue, burnout, and ultimately their unwillingness to pursue nursing careers after graduation. 42 , 44 , 45 …”

Mediating effect of psychological capital on the relationship between mental health literacy and coping styles among newly recruited nurses

“…We set mental health literacy as the independent variable and psychological capital as the mediating variable, to perform mediation effect analysis with positive coping and negative coping as dependent variables respectively. Based on the results of previous studies, nurses of different ages and lengths of experience coped differently [ 11 , 32 , 41 ]. The ages were significantly different in nurses who whether had previous experience in the present study.…”