Emotion regulation and personality traits associated with resilience among Iranian emergency nurses: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Resilience is a critical psychological resource for emergency department (ED) nurses exposed to chronic occupational stress. While personality traits and cognitive emotion regulation strategies have both been linked to resilience, their relative contributions in high-acuity clinical contexts remain unclear, particularly in Middle Eastern healthcare settings. This cross-sectional correlational study was conducted between June and August 2022 among ED nurses working in teaching hospitals affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Using convenience sampling, 162 nurses were included in the final analysis. Resilience was assessed using the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25). Personality traits were measured with the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and cognitive emotion regulation strategies were assessed using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-18). Data were analyzed using Spearman’s correlation and hierarchical multiple linear regression, with demographics entered in Block 1, personality traits in Block 2, and CERQ subscales in Block 3. HC3 robust standard errors were applied due to heteroscedasticity, and sensitivity analyses were conducted after excluding influential cases. Resilience differed significantly by employment type, with permanent nurses reporting higher scores than contractual nurses ( p = 0.005). In the final regression model, acceptance was positively associated with resilience (B = 2.06, p = 0.048), while conscientiousness showed a negative association (B = − 0.59, p = 0.017). The CERQ block did not significantly increase explained variance beyond personality traits (ΔR² = 0.06, p = 0.296). In sensitivity analyses, acceptance remained significant, whereas the association with conscientiousness was attenuated. Within the limits of a cross-sectional design, acceptance emerged as the most consistent correlate of resilience among Iranian ED nurses. Higher conscientiousness was unexpectedly associated with lower resilience, a pattern that may reflect the influence of rigid self‑regulatory tendencies that constrain flexible coping during sustained stress. Overall, the findings suggest that psychological flexibility may be more relevant to resilience in emergency care settings than effortful control or rigid self-regulation. Longitudinal research is needed to clarify causal pathways and contextual moderators.