The Relationship between Spiritual Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence with Self-Compassion of Nursing Students

Abstract

Introduction: Self-compassion among nurses leads to spiritual care of the patients, which is an effective psychological component in the spiritual and emotional intelligence of nurses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between spiritual intelligence and emotional intelligence with self-compassion of nursing students in Islamic Azad University, Babol Medical Sciences University. Methods: In this descriptive correlational research, the statistical population included all female nursing students of Islamic Azad University of Babol Medical Sciences University in 2017, and 169 of whom were selected by random sampling method. The research data were collected by King's Spiritual Intelligence Questionnaire (2008), Bar-on's Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (1980) and Neff’s Self-Compassion Scale (2003). The collected data were analyzed by Pearson correlation test and multiple regression. Results: Emotional intelligence with mean and Standard deviation(51.60± 8.42) and spiritual intelligence with mean and Standard deviation(269.14± 19.40) could predict 34.9% of the self- compassion dispersion with mean and Standard deviation of 79.44± 7.36 (P <0.01). Moreover, there was a positive and significant relationship between spiritual intelligence, critical existential thinking, the production of personal meaning, transcendental consciousness, and the extension of consciousness with self-compassion (P <0.01). Also, there was a positive and significant relationship between emotional intelligence, inner-personal skills, interpersonal skills, compatibility, coping with pressure and public creation with self-compassion (P <0.01). Conclusion: Spiritual intelligence and emotional intelligence had a positive and significant relationship with self-compassion in nursing. The importance of attention to the self-compassion variable requires more attention from mental health professionals due to the major role of nurses in caring

Keywords

• emotional intelligence
• spiritual intelligence
• self-compassion
• nursing students