Emotional Intelligence Among Nurses: Associations with Age, Professional Experience, and Emotional Skills

Background: Emotional intelligence (EI) has become an essential competency in the healthcare sector, particularly in nursing, where professionals frequently encounter emotionally demanding situations. The ability to recognize, understand, and regulate emotions is associated with improved interpersonal communication, professional well-being, and quality of patient care. Methods: This quantitative, descriptive, and correlational study was conducted among 141 nurses working in healthcare institutions in Western Greece. Data were collected using a structured 38-item questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics, emotional state, and leadership perceptions. The reliability of the emotional state scale was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α=0.717). Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 24, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationships between emotional intelligence variables and demographic or professional characteristics. Results: Significant associations were observed between emotional skills and demographic variables. Age was positively correlated with the ease of emotional expression (r = 0.533, p