Research Design on relationship between burnout and emotional intelligence

Research Design on relationship between burnout and emotional intelligence

The research adopted a survey design (Gravetter & Forzaro, 2013). This involved face-to-face

contact with observance of social distancing health recommendations due to the COVID-19

pandemic and also encouraged through the group social media chat. A descriptive quantitative

approach was most appropriate in this context because it allowed the researcher to gather attitudes

and perceptions of the respondents over a short period, hence quick and more financially feasible.

The respondents were engaged in December 2020 to January 2021 where correlational

investigation on burnout and emotional intelligence compiled into one questionnaire was done. The

advantage of this strategy was that it provided data from more than one variable simultaneously.

This study was carried out in Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), a modern center of excellence

and the largest medical facility in the East African region that has been in existence since 1902

then known as King George VI Hospital. KNH has a bed capacity of 1,800 with 26 busy outpatient

clinics (KNH website), and hosting the University of Nairobi and the Kenya Medical Training

College. It is a training center for local and international students, interns, and postgraduate

learners from various institutions. Figure 3 shows the organizational structure.

Figure 3 KNH Organizational Structure

Note. Adopted from the Planning and Strategy Department as draft (2020)

The general staff population at KNH is 4,800 staff. KNH is a parastatal and a Teaching and

records there are a total of 300 workers of various job categories in the emergency departments.

These departments are the Accident & Emergency Department and the Pediatric Emergency Unit

that had 218 healthcare workers.

Table 1 outlines a cross tabulation of the job category, the total number of respondents and the

percentage of the HCW in the emergency departments in KNH.

Table 1 Number of Healthcare Workers in Emergency Departments in KNH

Job Category/Title N Percentage

Doctors 46 21%

Nurses 141 65%

Pharmacists 9 4%

pharmacists. 32

Exclusion criteria included healthcare workers that were away from the institution, those on

preceptor training, probation period and those who had worked in the emergency departments for

less than 6 months. The other KNH workers, any other healthcare workers in ED, and students on

attachment were excluded.

Sampling Design

Sampling Frame

This study targeted only healthcare workers in the following job description: doctors, nurses,

pharmacists, clinical officers, and medical social workers. These are clinical staff working in the

target site, the emergency departments of the hospital. This data was obtained through a telephone

call to the office of the Director, Human Resources Management, KNH.

The study involved the healthcare workers who have worked for over 6 months in the two

emergency departments at KNH. These are the pediatric emergency unit and the accident and

emergency departments. The study used census method for respondent’s determination. This

involved complete enumeration where all the healthcare workers in the target population were

included in the study. The study employed complete enumeration method where all the healthcare

workers in the ED were targeted.

However, in determining the minimum number required for the threshold of the study, Taro

Yamane’s formula for sample size calculation was used. The minimum sample size targeted taking

into consideration the study eligibility criteria was calculated as follows:

n = 1+ ( )^2

where

1+218(0.1)^2

n = 218

1+2.12

n = 218

3.12

n = 69.871

n = 70

Taking into consideration a 10% non-response which is 7

Thus, the corrected minimum sample size was 70 +7

Clinical officers 0 16 16

Medical Social Workers 6 0 9

Total 174 44 n = 218

Data Collection Methods

Sources of Data

A self-administered questionnaire was the main source of primary data. The tool was availed

for Alcohol/ Tobacco/ Substance Use-Abuse inventory. The other two sections, Part B and Part C

The study questionnaire was issued to the respondents as an online link whose responses will be

submitted online. They were required to read and provide consent available in Appendix I, before

completing the self-administered questionnaire available on Appendix II. Attention was drawn to

the briefing and debriefing form on Appendix III. The structured, self-administered 22-item Likert-

scale Maslach Burnout Inventory tool was be used to determine levels of burnout (Maslach,

Jackson & Leiter, 1996).

This tool, Part B of the questionnaire, provided the scoring of the emotional exhaustion [7 items],

depersonalization [7 items], and personal achievement [8 items]. The tool is a 7-point Likert-scale is

rated as follows: ‘0 = Never, 1 = A few times a year, 2 = Once a month, 3 = A few times a month, 4

= once a week, 5 = a few times per week, and 6 = everyday”. In each facet of the self-administered

Maslach Burnout Inventory tool, the scores were summated. For the depersonalization section, a

score of 5 or less indicated low level of burnout, 6 to 11 indicated moderate burnout, while 12 and

copyrighted (Sterrett, 2000). Further, reference to the Emotional Competence Inventory technical

manual that has similar components was made to get additional clarification. This tool is a 20-item

inventory that has Likert-scale ratings ranging from “1= Never to 5= Always”, specifically 1=

four aspects of emotional intelligence namely: the self-awareness, self-management, social

awareness and relationship management.

The scoring of the instrument includes of having a total of each aspect which could range from 5 to

a high score of 25. Scores below 18 in each area indicate a need to intentionally improve one’s

emotional intelligence while a score 18 and above in each aspect is considered high emotional

intelligence.

Research Procedures

Ethical approval was sought from National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation

(NACOSTI) through the USIU’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) for authorization to carry out

the study. Commendation and consent to conduct study within the institution was sought by

submitting approval request letter (Appendix IV) to the Kenyatta National Hospital – University of

Nairobi, Ethics and Research Committee (KNH-UoN ERC). Upon receipt of approval (Appendix

Pilot Study

A pilot study as indicated on Appendix VI, was conducted in December 2020. The objective was to

allow the researcher to get familiarized with the protocol and conduct a trial on the questionnaire.

This pre-testing was carried out randomly among doctors and nurses in the medical section of the

hospital. The pilot study exposed the researcher to the study process and therefore familiarized to

the distribution, and process of data collection instruments. It informed the researcher of any

The length of questionnaire was noted to be a challenge. During the data collection therefore, the

researcher assisted the respondents that had challenges with the online process and encouraged all

to ensure the questionnaire was completed in one sitting.

Reliability of the Instruments

In a study on the single-item NIDA quick screen tool, it was established that the tool had

results of .86, and Split-half of .57 with Odd-Even result of .92 (Coker & Omoluabi, 2009). A