Many industries are struggling to adapt to the uncertainty engulfing society at the dawn of the 21st Century. One industry acknowledging the emergent state of affairs is healthcare, in which the quality of care is deteriorating. To compound an already critical situation, the industry is also struggling to resolve another crisis; a severe shortage of registered nurses. These problems are threatening the health of Americans. Empirical data is needed to support initiatives of change and innovation within the nursing profession. These changes, as well as changes within the work environment, can improve the quality of care available to American consumers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a relationship between emotional intelligence and burnout among staff nurses working in the acute care hospital setting and the extent to which both variables affect the intent to leave nursing or to make a career change within the next 3 years. The study analyzed the impact of emotional intelligence and burnout on 154 staff nurses working in four clinical specialties: intensive care, medical-surgical, maternal/women's health, and pediatrics. Analysis of the results found statistically significant relationships between emotional exhaustion and depersonalization on the career intent of the respondents. The burnout subscales were also statistically significant in predicting emotional intelligence among the sample group of staff nurses. In addition, the influence of clinical specialty also influenced the emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment scores in the study. The implications for leadership and future research are discussed.