Helping Nursing Students Develop and Expand Their Emotional Intelligence.

Abstract

As nurse educators and leaders, we know the importance of emotional Intelligence (EI) and recognize its value for ourselves and our students. What we may not know is how to increase key components of EI through our teaching techniques and practices. Most of the literature reported on the EI of nurses is focused on nurse leaders and nurse executives (Smith, Profetto-McGrath, & Cummings, 2009), There are a few studies of EI among nursing students (Benson, Ploeg, & Brown, 2010; Li, Cao, Cao, & Liu, 2015; Montes-Berges & Augusto, 2007; Rochester, Kilstoff, & Scott, 2005), with the overall conclusion that, as nurse educators, we should do more to promote EI among our students. The underlying assumption is that, because therapeutic relationships form the foundation of all of our nursing work, El, focused on understanding the self in the context on one's personal and social environment, should be an Important characteristic of nurses. Nurses need EI to practice effectively and to enhance their interactions with recipients of care, family members, and all those individuals within the organizations In which nurses work. Aside from a few opinion-based articles on the need for EI among nurses in practice, there is a paucity of research in the area. It is Important to not only generate additional studies but also to figure out how we can teach our students the competencies that underpin EI. Essentially, it Is important to demonstrate the quality outcomes of our educational programs and the care that our students deliver during their educational programs and throughout their subsequent careers. One resource for assisting in teaching EI and continuing to develop our EI skills is the Emotional Competence Framework (Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, 2016). This framework delineates the personal skills (self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-motivation) and the social competence skills (including social awareness and social skills) necessary for EI. Nurse educators will Immediately recognize that the personal competence skills characteristic of EI are highly consistent with the therapeutic relationship that forms the basis of our nursing practice. Key components of self-awareness are emotional awareness, accurate self-assessment, and self-confidence, all skills that are critical to effective interventions. The self-regulated, emotionally intelligent person must have self-control and be trustworthy, conscientious, adaptable, and innovative. …