The Relationship Between Moral Intelligence and Stress Coping Styles In Intensive Care Unit Nurses

Moral intelligence is one of the important and decisive factors in the nursing profession, in which stress coping styles also have a special place. This study aims to determine the relationship between moral intelligence and stress coping styles in intensive care unit nurses in Ardabil city hospitals. The present descriptive-correlational study recruited 213 nurses selected by the census from those working in intensive care units in teaching hospitals in the city of Ardabil. The participants responded to Lennick and Kiel’s Moral Competency Index, and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire by Lazarus. The data were analyzed in SPSS-24 using descriptive (mean, standard deviation, and frequency) and analytical (Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient and Multivariate Regression) statistical tests. A good level of moral intelligence was observed in 89.7% of nurses, and a positive and significant relationship was found between moral intelligence and stress coping styles (P<0.001). Moreover, nurses mostly used an emotion-oriented approach as compared with a problem-oriented coping style. Despite their very good level of moral intelligence, most nurses use emotion-oriented stress coping style. It is therefore necessary to teach intensive care unit nurses appropriate ways of coping with occupational stresses.