Moral Intelligence: A Component of Time Management Skills in Prehospital Emergency Care
akhlāq-i pizishkī i.e., Medical Ethics,
Vol. 19 (1404),
25 September 2025
,
Page 1-13
https://doi.org/10.22037/mej.v19i-.48889
Abstract
Background and Aim: Moral intelligence, as a fundamental competency in healthcare professions, has substantial potential to influence clinical decision-making and professional behavior. This concept is particularly critical in high-stress and crisis-driven environments such as prehospital emergency care, where effective time management is an undeniable necessity. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between moral intelligence and time management among emergency medical technicians in Arak, Iran.
Methods: This descriptive correlational study was conducted in 2024 among 200 emergency medical technicians working in prehospital emergency bases affiliated with Arak University of Medical Sciences. Participants were selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires, including a demographic information form, the Moral Intelligence Questionnaire and the Time Management Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 22 Pearson correlation tests, one-way analysis of variance and independent t-test.
Ethical Considerations: Ethical principles were strictly observed throughout all stages of the study. Confidentiality was maintained and questionnaires were completed after obtaining informed consent from participants and providing a clear explanation of the study objectives.
Results: The findings indicated that the mean total score of moral intelligence was 147.63±21.18, while the mean score of time management was 75.9±9.91. Results showed that 181 participants (89.6%) demonstrated a strong level of time management. A positive and statistically significant correlation was observed between total moral intelligence and time management scores (r=0.608, p<0.001). Additionally, all dimensions of moral intelligence - including integrity, responsibility, compassion and forgiveness - were significantly and positively correlated with time management and its subdimensions (p<0.05).
Conclusion: The findings suggest that higher levels of moral intelligence are associated with more effective time management among emergency medical technicians. Accordingly, the design and implementation of educational programs aimed at enhancing moral intelligence may serve as an effective strategy for improving time management skills and, ultimately, for enhancing the quality of prehospital emergency care services.
- Moral Intelligence
- Time Management
- Emergency Medical Services
- Emergency Medical Technicians
- Iran
How to Cite
References
1. Heidari M, Aliakbari F, Heydarpoor S, Nehrir B, Yadollahi S. Pre-hospital emergency service challenges in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. 2022;17:e217.
2. Alotaibi HF, Alanazi SM, Albasri RF, Alanazi IM. Advances in pre-hospital emergency care: Enhancing outcomes through innovative practices and technology. International Journal of Health Sciences. 2023;7(S1):3422-34.
3. Bhattarai HK, Bhusal S, Barone-Adesi F, Hubloue I. Prehospital emergency care in low-and middle-income countries: a systematic review. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 2023;38(4):495-512.
4. Waitzman R. Ethical Issues in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine. Medicine & Law. 2021;40:529-46.
5. Aulbach L. 5. Artificial Intelligence, ethics and empathy: How empathic AI applications impact humanity. Digital Humanities in the India Rim: Contemporary Scholarship in Australia and India. 2024:83-98.
6. Majidi SA, Fakoorfard Z, Safarmohammadi H, Leily EK. The relationship between moral intelligence and patient safety culture in nurses. Journal of Caring Sciences. 2023;12(4):241-47.
7. Cheraghi R, Parizad N, Alinejad V, Piran M, Almasi L. The effect of emotional intelligence on nurses’ job performance: the mediating role of moral intelligence and occupational stress. BMC Nursing. 2025;24(1):130.
8. Jin J, Yu J, Wang J. Impact of improved prehospital emergency medical service system on the time management of chest pain patients in the emergency department. American Journal of Translational Research. 2021;13(7):7743-55.
9. Kim YE, Lee HY. The effects of an emergency department length-of-stay management system on severely ill patients’ treatment outcomes. BMC Emergency Medicine. 2022;22(1):204.
10. AbediKooshki S, Mayvan FP, Barghamadi M. Relationship Between Patient Safety Culture, Attitudes Towards Patient Safety, and Moral Intelligence Among Nurses Working at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Esfarayen City, 2024. Iranian Biomedical Journal. 2024;28:410.
11. Sajuyigbe AS, Inegbedion HW, William Ayeni AA, Ighomereho S. Compulsory Citizenship Behavior, Work-Life Balance, and Turnover Intention in Academia: Mediating Effects of Emotional Intelligence. The Journal of Behavioral Science. 2022;17(2):58-72.
12. Shirmohammadi Y, Araghian Mojarad F, Yaghoubi T. Moral intelligence in nurses and factors: A Review Article. Clinical Excellence. 2022;12(3):35-42. [Persian]
13. Chacko JM, Varghese A, Rajesh N. Impact of time management program on stress and coping strategies adopted by nursing students with regard to academic performance. IP Journal of Paediatrics and Nursing Science. 2023;6(1):48-56.
14. Heidari T, Azimilolaty H, Khorram M, Rezaei S, Mousavinasab S-N, Nikbakht R. Association between moral intelligence, burnout and quality of nursing care. London: SAGE Publications Sage UK; 2022. p. 334-45.
15. Tofighi M, Tirgari B, Ghomian Z, Safari M, Bazyar J, Mohammadi E, et al. Time management behaviors and emotional intelligence in head nurses in emergency and intensive care units. Creative Nursing. 2022;28(1):29-35.
16. Almeida M, Lobão C, Coelho A, Parola V. Emotional management strategies in prehospital nurses: a scoping review. Nursing Reports. 2023;13(4):1524-38.
17. Bujang MA, Baharum N. Sample size guideline for correlation analysis. World. 2016;3(1):37-46.
18. Kaliská L. First Results from Verification of Psychometric Properties of D. Lennick’s and F. Kiel’s MCI Questionnaire for Measuring Moral Intelligence in Slovak Conditions. The New Educational Review. 2014;37(3):257-68.
19. Hashemizadeh H. Analysis of relation between time management behaviors and occupational stress of nurses. European Psychiatry. 2013;28(Suppl1):1.
20. Güneşer R, Kırımlıoğlu N. Evaluation of moral intelligence in prehospital emergency healthcare employees: the case of BoluDüzce. Acta Bioethica. 2024;30(2):273-83.
21. Azimpour A, Abdolrezapour P, Beshardeh S, Dashtakipour M, Ravesh S. Changes in morality during university period: A longitudinal study of Iranian university students. Journal of Academic Ethics. 2025;23:1611-34.
22. Anglim J, Dunlop PD, Wee S, Horwood S, Wood JK, Marty A. Personality and intelligence: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin. 2022;148:301-36.
23. Majidi SA, Kouchakzadeh S, Safarmohammadi H, Leyli EK. Assessment of hospital nurses’ moral intelligence: A cross-sectional study in Guilan Province, north of Iran. Shiraz E-Medical Journal. 2018;19(10):e62299.
24. Zheng H, Dong J, Lihua Y. Moral Development and Wisdom: The Mediating Role of Moral Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence. International Journal of Ethics and Society. 2025;7(1):53-9.
25. Beyramijam M, Akbari Shahrestanaki Y, Khankeh H, Aminizadeh M, Dehghani A, Hosseini MA. Work‐Family Conflict among Iranian Emergency Medical Technicians and Its Relationship with Time Management Skills: A Descriptive Study. Emergency Medical International. 2020;2020(1):7452697.
26. Fahmy AM, Saber EH, Gabra SF. Relation between Compassion Fatigue, Pandemic Emotional Impact, and Time Management among Nurses at Isolation Hospitals during COVID-19. Minia Scientific Nursing Journal. 2022;12(1):57-68.
27. Çelebi I, Alkaş G. Time Management Attitudes of Health Care Workers Employed in the Ambulance Service in Turkey. Australasian Journal of Paramedicine. 2022;19:1-7.
28. Savioli G, Ceresa IF, Gri N, Bavestrello Piccini G, Longhitano Y, Zanza C, et al. Emergency department overcrowding: understanding the factors to find corresponding solutions. Journal of Personalized Medicine. 2022;12(2):279.
29. Ranjbar M, Azmoudeh Z, Shafghat T, Tafti AD. Investigating the Relationship between Moral Intelligence and Attitude towards Patient Safety in Nurses Working at Shahid Sadoughi Teaching Hospital in Yazd in 2023. Management Strategies in Health System. 2024;9(2):173-83. [Persian]
30. Mabekoje SO. Emotional intelligence and self-regulation among school-going adolescent: Self-efficacy as a mediator. Cotemporary Humanities. 2010;4(2):209-22.
31. Malakooti B. Decision making process: typology, intelligence, and optimization. Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing. 2012;23(3):733-46.
32. Araújo D, Bourbousson J. Theoretical perspectives on interpersonal coordination for team behaviour. Interpersonal coordination and performance in social systems. London: Routledge; 2016. p.126-39.
- Abstract Viewed: 56 times