Background <p>Emotional intelligence (EI) is a critical non-technical skill that plays an important role in nurses’ performance, particularly in high-pressure environments such as emergency departments. Accurate triage decision-making is essential for ensuring patient safety and optimal resource allocation. Although previous studies have highlighted the importance of cognitive and clinical skills in triage accuracy, limited evidence exists regarding the contribution of EI to triage accuracy. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and triage accuracy among emergency nurses working.</p> Methods <p>This cross-sectional descriptive correlational study was conducted among 145 emergency nurses, of whom 140 completed all study components. Participants were selected through proportionate stratified random sampling from four major hospitals. Emotional intelligence was assessed using the Siberia Schering Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, and triage accuracy was measured using 20 standardized scenarios derived from the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) Version 4 manual. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24 through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for demographic variables.</p> Results <p>Findings indicated a significant positive relationship between total EI and triage accuracy (<i>r</i> = 0.41, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that emotional intelligence remained a significant predictor of triage accuracy after adjusting for age, work experience, gender, and employment status (β = 0.36, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001).</p> Conclusion <p>In conclusion, the results of this study confirm that emotional intelligence particularly the dimensions of self-awareness and self-motivation together with clinical experience, are key determinants of triage accuracy among emergency nurses.</p> Clinical trial number <p>Not applicable.</p>