مریم اسماعیلی

INTRODUCTION: Prehospital emergency personnel face numerous challenges when time is poorly managed, which can adversely affect both patient outcomes and the overall healthcare system. Identifying factors that contribute to effective time management is essential for enhancing performance in emergency care settings. This study aimed to examine the relationship between social intelligence and time management among prehospital emergency staff in Markazi province, Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024 among 200 emergency medical technicians working in urban and road EMS bases in Markazi province using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Time Management questionnaire, and the Social Intelligence questionnaire. Data analysis was performed in SPSS-16 using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation tests, with the level of statistical significance set at p<0.05. FINDINGS: The results indicated that the participants had a mean age of 33.64 ± 7.39 years, with males comprising 95% of the sample. The majority of participants (89.6%) exhibited strong time management skills. The mean social intelligence score was 93.15 ± 14.45, reflecting a high level of social intelligence. Furthermore, social intelligence and all of its subscales showed positive and statistically significant correlations with all dimensions of time management (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Social intelligence, as a critical component of human capital, significantly influences the time management abilities of prehospital emergency personnel. Interventions aimed at enhancing social intelligence may therefore improve time management skills and overall efficiency in prehospital emergency care.