Abstract
Background: Nurses are the corner stone of the health care systems and their satisfaction is a must. Emotional intelligence of head nurses may help in increasing staff nurses job satisfaction. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between Head Nurses' perception of their emotional intelligence and Staff Nurses' job satisfaction. Setting: The study was carried out at Om El Masryeen general hospital, in Giza Subjects: All available Head Nurses at the time of data collection were included in the study (N=30). Also, all available staff nurses at the time of data collection were included in the study (N=113). Design: Descriptive correlational research design was utilized to carry this study. Data collection tools: Tool 1: Emotional Intelligence Self-Assessment questionnaire. Tool 2: The Index of Work Satisfaction Questionnaire. Results: Half of head nurses had moderate level of perception regarding their emotional intelligence and more than half of staff nurses who had moderate level of job satisfaction. Conclusion: A statistically significant positive correlation between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction. Recommendations: The study recommended that design training programs for head nurses to improve their emotional intelligence competencies. Further studies to investigate the effect of strategies to improve emotional intelligence of head nurses.

Key words: Emotional intelligence, Head nurses, Job satisfaction, Staff nurses, Perception