Impact of Informal Emotional Intelligence Training on Emotional Intelligence Levels of Nursing Students in an Associate Degree Nursing Program at a Community College

Abstract

High levels of emotional intelligence (EI) have been shown to significantly benefit nursing students, however, there is conflicting evidence on whether EI can be developed without formal training. The purpose of this project was to assess the impact of informal EI training on associate degree nursing students. The Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) was used to assess the EI levels in a convenience sample of 98 first and final-semester associate degree nursing students enrolled in a large, public community college in Ohio. There were 42 first semester students and 56 post semester students that participated in the study. The only statistically significant difference in the groups’ demographics was the work status (p=.005) and campus (p=.041). There was no significant difference in the SSEIT scores of first-semester students (Md = 131, n = 42) and final-semester students (Md = 129, n = 56) (U = 1,103, z = -0.52, p = 0.602, r = -0.12). The results indicate that informal training had no impact on the EI scores of associate degree nursing students. Large, multi-institution research studies utilizing a randomized sample are warranted to confirm these findings.