Professional quality of life is related to emotional intelligence, self-care, and work conditions in healthcare workers: findings from a moderated mediation analysis

Abstract

Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) among healthcare workers encompasses both positive aspects such as compassion satisfaction and negative dimensions including burnout and compassion fatigue. Emotional intelligence, self-care, workplace social support, and occupational role are critical factors influencing ProQOL outcomes, yet their interrelationships require further investigation within ecological frameworks. This study examined the direct and indirect effects of emotional intelligence on ProQOL in healthcare workers, with self-care as a mediator, and workplace social support and type of work as moderators, grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, the Theory of Salutogenesis, and the Job Demands-Resources model. A cross-sectional survey of 343 healthcare workers from a single health district was conducted in New South Wales, Australia. Measures included emotional intelligence, personal and professional self-care (perception and practice), workplace social support, type of work, and ProQOL components. Data were analysed using SPSS and Process MACRO. Emotional intelligence positively influenced compassion satisfaction, reduced burnout, and mitigated compassion fatigue both directly and indirectly via self‑care. Notably, professional self‑care was a stronger buffer against work‑related stress than personal self‑care. Effects varied by work type and workplace social support: stronger protective effects were observed among direct care providers, whereas non‑direct care providers showed attenuated or reversed associations for high emotional intelligence. Component‑specific effects were identified, with “self‑focus” elements emotional intelligence components linked to higher compassion fatigue, “use of emotions” to greater compassion satisfaction, and “regulation of emotions” to reduced burnout. Findings highlight the importance of targeted, context-sensitive interventions that strengthen professional self-care strategies, develop role-relevant emotional intelligence skills, and optimise workplace social support. Such approaches have the potential to enhance the professional quality of life of healthcare workers across diverse roles and organisational settings. Limitations of findings and recommendations for research and practice are discussed. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-025-13437-7.