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Delshad Z, Dehghan-Nayeri N, Maghaminejad F, Hashemi Tameh S M A, Sabari Fard E. Relationship Between Moral Intelligence, Spiritual Intelligence, and Emotional Intelligence Among Nursing Iranian Students. IJN 2025; 38 (S1 )
URL: http://ijn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-3841-en.html
Relationship Between Moral Intelligence, Spiritual Intelligence, and Emotional Intelligence Among Nursing Iranian Students
Zahra Delshad1 , Nahid Dehghan-Nayeri2 , Farzaneh Maghaminejad3 , Seyed Mohammad Ali Hashemi Tameh4 , Ebrahim Sabari Fard4
1- Department of Nursing, Kas.C. Islamic Azad University, Kashan, Iran.
2- Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
3- Department of Nursing, Kas.C. Islamic Azad University, Kashan, Iran. , maghaminejad.f@gmail.com
4- Department of Nursing, Nursing Research Committee, Kas.C. Islamic Azad University, Kashan, Iran.
Keywords: Spiritual intelligence, Emotional Intelligence, Moral intelligence, Nursing students
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Introduction
Nursing students carry heavy academic and clinical responsibilities and are exposed to patients’ suffering, which can significantly influence their psychological well-being, academic performance, and professional development. As nursing students progress through their education, they must cultivate not only technical and clinical competencies but also a range of non-cognitive abilities that enable them to manage stress, communicate effectively, and provide compassionate care. Among these abilities, emotional intelligence, spiritual intelligence, and moral intelligence have gained increasing attention in recent years. Emotional intelligence helps individuals understand and regulate their own emotions and those of others. Spiritual intelligence supports meaning making, resilience, and existential reflection; and moral intelligence guides ethical decision-making and responsible behavior. Although each of these constructs has been studied independently, limited research has explored how they relate to one another within the context of nursing education, particularly across different academic stages. Understanding these relationships may provide valuable insights for curriculum development and student support strategies. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the relationships among emotional, spiritual, and moral intelligence in first and eighth-semester nursing students in Kashan, Iran. 
Methods
This descriptive correlational study was conducted among 200 undergraduate nursing students enrolled in first- or eighth semesters, who were selected via convenience sampling from nursing schools in Kashan. Data were collected using a four-part questionnaire. The first part surveyed demographic information such as age, gender, marital status, employment status, academic semester, and grade point average. The second part was Bradberry-Greaves’ emotional intelligence test with 28 items measuring four domains: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. 
The third part was Lennick and Kiel’s Moral Competence Inventory (MCI), comprising 40 items assessing integrity, responsibility, compassion, and forgiveness. The fourth part was King’s Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory (SISRI-24), a 24item tool measuring critical existential thinking, personal meaning production, transcendental awareness, and consciousness expansion. The reliability of these instruments was confirmed with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of 0.86, 0.89, and 0.90, respectively, indicating strong internal consistency. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software, version 26. Descriptive statistics were used to describe participant characteristics, while inferential statistics, including independent ttest, Pearson’s correlation test, and multiple linear regression, were conducted to analyze the data. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. 
Results
The mean age of the participants was 21.98±0.12 years, ranging from 18 to 28. The majority were female (72.5%) and single (85.5%). Most participants were in the eighth semester (60%). Independent test results revealed significant differences between the first and eighth semester students in emotional intelligence (P=0.01) and spiritual intelligence (P=0.002), with eighth semester students demonstrating higher scores. 
These findings suggest that emotional and spiritual intelligences of nursing students may develop as they gain more clinical and educational experience. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in moral intelligence (P=0.06), indicating that moral intelligence may be less influenced by academic progression or may develop more slowly over time. Pearson’s correlation test showed a significant positive correlation between emotional and spiritual intelligence (r=0.241, P<0.001), suggesting that higher emotional intelligence is associated with higher spiritual intelligence. In contrast, the correlations between emotional and moral intelligence (r=0.100, P=0.160) and between spiritual and moral intelligence (r=0.007, P=0.921) were not statistically significant. Multiple linear regression analysis further demonstrated that emotional intelligence was a significant positive predictor of spiritual intelligence (B=0.263, P=0.001), accounting for approximately 5% of the variance in spiritual intelligence scores (Adjusted R²=0.053). This indicates that while emotional intelligence contributes to spiritual intelligence, other factors likely play a substantial role as well. 
Conclusion
The findings of this study highlight the interconnected nature of emotional and spiritual intelligence among Iranian nursing students. The absence of a significant relationship between emotional and spiritual intelligences and moral intelligence suggests that moral development may follow a different trajectory, potentially influenced by personal values, cultural norms, or long-term life experiences rather than academic progression alone. The results underscore the importance of integrating educational strategies that support the development of emotional and spiritual intelligence early in nursing training. Workshops, reflective practice sessions, mindfulness based programs, and communication skills training may help students cultivate these competencies, enabling them to better manage stress, enhance resilience, and provide compassionate patient care. Future research should explore the underlying mechanisms linking emotional intelligence to spiritual intelligence, examine longitudinal changes across the entire nursing course, and investigate factors that contribute to the development of moral intelligence in nursing students. Such insights may guide the creation of more holistic and effective nursing curricula that prepare students not only academically and clinically but also emotionally, spiritually, and ethically for the demands of the profession. 
Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the School of Nursing and Midwifery & Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Code IR.TUMS.FNM.REC.1401.172). The study objectives were explained to the participants and their informed consent was obtained. They were assured that their information would be kept confidential.
Funding
This study is part of a research project (Code: 57753), funded by in Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
Authors' contributions
 Conceptualization and initial draft preparation: Zahra Delshad, and Nahid Dehghan-Nairy; Data analysis: Farzaneh Maghamanejad;Data collection: Ebrahim Sabarifard, and Mohammad Ali Hashemi Tameh; Review & editing: Zahra Delshad, Nahid Dehghan-Nairy,  and Farzaneh Maghamanejad.
Conflict of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank all participants for their cooperation and time. 

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Type of Study: Research | Subject: nursing
Received: 2024/09/17 | Accepted: 2025/12/22 | Published: 2025/03/21
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