Emotional Intelligence among Female Nursing Leaders in a Transformational Era

Background. Emotional intelligence (EI) is an instrumental quality for effective management in the changing landscape of healthcare leadership, specifically among female nursing leaders. Aim. This study aims to assess the EI among female nursing leaders in Saudi Arabian hospitals and to examine its connection with leadership and effectiveness of decision-making during a transformational period. Methods. This study applied a correlational descriptive cross-sectional methodology to gather data from 232 female nursing leaders. The data were collected via an online survey using convenience sampling. The study incorporated demographic data as well as a 16-item EI scale. Approval was granted by the ethics committee, and the participants' privacy was appropriately ensured. Results. The majority of the participants were experienced professionals aged 25 years and above, with a significant proportion holding a bachelor's degree or higher, and over five years of leadership experience. The study revealed a positive connection between EI and self-leadership (self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-motivation), especially among leaders with more experience. An investigation considering many variables revealed a noteworthy model that explains 55.2% of the variation in EI scores. This model portrays that higher self-leadership scores, as well as longer experience, are predictors of higher levels of EI. Conclusions. This study has found that EI is widespread among female nursing leaders, and it is meaningfully and positively associated with their aptitude for self-leadership. The fact that more leadership experience correlated with higher EI signifies the need for focused EI development programs in the nursing leadership curriculum. These insights are instrumental for developing leadership that can effectually manage the intricacies of the evolving healthcare transition.