Assessing the relationship between emotional intelligence and compassionate satisfaction of employees in a Western Cape caregiving environment

Abstract

A lack of empirical evidence of the relationship between emotional intelligence and compassion satisfaction of caregivers within a caregiving environment was identified; therefore, this is the research problem or gap addressed by the study. This study aimed to determine the relationship between caregiving employees' emotional intelligence and compassionate satisfaction in a Western Cape caregiving environment. A quantitative research approach was used to determine the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and compassion satisfaction. The sampling technique/method used for the study was a census. The entire population is employed as the sample in a census sampling approach, and information is gathered from each case or group member inside the organisation. The empirical study design yielded a total of 85 verified questionnaires. The Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale, Assessing Emotions Scale or the Emotional Intelligence Scale (SSEIT) was utilised to measure the caregiving employees' emotional intelligence trait. The first part of the Professional Quality of Life Measure: Compassion, Satisfaction, and Fatigue (ProQOL), which measures compassion satisfaction, was utilised to measure the caregiving employees' compassion satisfaction levels. It was found that these measurements correlated with one another. According to the SSEIT scores, emotional intelligence ranged from high to medium. The ProQOL scores showed significant levels of compassionate satisfaction. According to Spearman's correlation coefficient (emotional intelligence and compassionate satisfaction), the two assessed constructs have a significant linear relationship. As a result, the study was influential in providing evidence that there is a strong correlation between compassionate satisfaction and employees' emotional intelligence.