Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Services

Advisor

Michael Furukawa

Abstract

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) administer more than 43 million anesthetics within the United States and practice in every setting where there is anesthesia. Stress and burnout can be a common problem for CRNAs. The purpose of this correlation study was to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and burnout syndrome among CRNAs. The research questions assessed CRNAs and the relationship between EI and burnout syndrome, the burnout score and the four dimensions of EI, and EI and the three dimensions of burnout. Certified and recertified CRNAs (N = 506) completed the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and a demographics survey. The results of a correlation analysis and linear regression indicate that there is a correlation between EI and burnout syndrome for CRNAs and when increasing the EI score by one unit, a 20% reduction in burnout occurs. A relationship also exists between the burnout score and the four dimensions of EI for CRNAs, with self-emotion appraisal and regulation of emotion statistically significant (p < 0.05). Each component of burnout syndrome correlated with a CRNA's EI score, with diminished personal accomplishment having the strongest correlation (r = .451; p < 0.05). EI is present for CRNAs, and there is an inverse relationship with burnout syndrome, which is a new contribution to the literature. Regarding positive social change, results may yield modifications in the education of Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist (SRNA) or opportunities for CRNAs to build additional EI skills. This study offers healthcare administrators insight that EI is a factor in reducing burnout and beneficial to increasing wellness of the healthcare staff.

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