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Emotional intelligence (EI) is increasingly recognized as a key factor in healthcare, where managing emotions is vital for job satisfaction, productivity, and interpersonal relationships. For nurses, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, EI plays a pivotal role in navigating emotional challenges and improving their quality of work life (QoWL). This study examined how EI moderates the relationship between nurses' preparedness to care for COVID-19 patients and their QoWL. A cross-sectional, correlational design was used, involving 267 nurses from various healthcare settings. Data were collected through the Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Quality of Nursing Work Life survey, and demographic questionnaires. The sample was predominantly female (94.4%), with a mean age of 37.47 years (SD = 8.09) and an average of 8.43 years of experience (SD = 6.33). Most nurses (87.3%) attended COVID-19-related workshops, with 76.4% feeling prepared to care for COVID-19 patients. Emotional intelligence levels were high, with 93.6% of nurses reporting good personal competence and 85.4% reporting good social competence. Descriptive results showed that 71% of nurses perceived their QoWL as good, while 29% rated it as fair. Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations between both personal competence (r = 0.33, p < 0.001) and social competence (r = 0.34, p < 0.001) with QoWL, but preparedness to care for COVID-19 patients did not correlate significantly with either EI or QoWL. Hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that, although nurses' preparedness alone did not predict QoWL (β = 0.034, p = 0.57), including emotional intelligence as a moderator explains 41% of the variance in QoWL. Both personal (β = 0.578, p < 0.001) and social competence (β = 0.665, p < 0.001) components of EI had significant buffering effects on the relationship between preparedness and QoWL. These findings suggest that fostering EI in nurses can enhance their resilience and improve their work life quality, particularly in high-stress healthcare environments like those experienced during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused one of the worst global pandemics in recent decades. It has disrupted education systems worldwide, leading to a forced shift from traditional face-to-face to blended or fully distanced learning, requiring a higher level of student readiness for self-directed learning (SDL) and a more internal locus of control (LOC). Objective: This study explored the relationship between locus of control and level of readiness for SDL among Saudi nursing students and whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted this relationship. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational descriptive study was conducted to survey 277 Saudi nursing students enrolled in the bachelor program at one of the reputable universities in Saudi Arabia. An E-questionnaire containing two scales, the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale for Nursing Education, and the Locus of Control Scale, was used to collect data in addition to the selected participants' characteristics. Results: Nursing students had a moderate-to-low level of readiness for SDL (mean = 144.0), and the majority had an external LOC. There was a significant association between locus of control and level of readiness for self-directed learning (r = 0.19 *, p = 0.001), and the internal locus of control was more significantly associated with self-directed learning (r = 0.22 *, p = 0.0001) than with external locus of control. Conclusion: The study findings indicate a propensity of respondents indicating an external locus of control, whereas most of the respondents' reported levels of readiness ranged between low and moderate across all dimensions of self-directed learning. This study was not registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Healthcare organizations have a dynamic work-environment that changes constantly. This study aimed to explore whether there is a relationship between work-environment uncertainty and nurses' readiness to participate in organizational change. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at two tertiary hospitals. The sample size was 222 nurses. A self-report questionnaire was adopted, translated to Arabic, and used for collecting data; it consists of three scales, personal data sheet, organizational readiness for implementing change scale, and perceived environmental uncertainty in hospitals scale. Descriptive statistics t-test and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. Results: The level of agreement with the change efficacy statements with the total mean percentage of nurses' readiness for organizational change (change efficacy) was 67.0%, and it was slightly higher than the commitment statements, in which the total mean percentage of nurses' readiness for organizational change (change commitment) was 64.2%. In addition, one of the workenvironment uncertainty dimensions, which is the individual attribute (need for information), positively correlated with the organizational readiness to change. Conclusions: The organizational readiness to implement organizational change is high. Environmental complexity was highly perceived among nurses as one of the work-environment uncertainty dimensions. An organizational environment considering employee characteristics must be developed to improve their knowledge, skills, and attitude to adapt to change and uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]