Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive study is to determine the relationship between nurses' compassion level and emotional intelligence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to collect data from a sample of 218 nurses who volunteered to participate. Data were collected using the descriptive information form, the compassion scale (CS), and the revised Schutte emotional intelligence scale (RSEIS). Findings: The nurses' total CS score was 97.51 ± 1, and their total RSEIS score was 152.1 ± 14.8. In our study, a moderate, positive, and significant relationship was found between nurses' compassion level and emotional intelligence levels. Conclusions: It was determined that nurses within the scope of the study had a high level of compassion and a medium-high level of emotional intelligence during the COVID-19 pandemic process. Initiatives should be planned to develop emotional intelligence, which helps to minimize the negative effects of the pandemic on nurses and prevent negative emotions.
Keywords: COVID-19; compassion; emotional intelligence; nurse; pandemic.