Emotional Intelligence
According to Khademi et al. (2021), emotional intelligence is an integral part of both
professional and personal success. It is described as a non-technical skill used to feel, express,
recognize and understand different emotions (The Ohio State College of Nursing, n.d.). What
stood out the most to me was how important this skill is in nursing, even though it is considered
non-technical in nature, and how it can be strengthened and improved upon through education
and training. I also found it interesting that the Psychology Today article talks about how
emotional intelligence also includes the harnessing or handling of the emotions of others. I
always thought it was more of a self-control concept than one geared towards the emotions of
those around you. Personally, after completing the online quizzes, I found I have some emotional
intelligence and always thought myself to be an empathetic person. However, I now see there is
room for growth.
Specifically, after reading these articles, it made me realize I need to be more self-aware
of my own emotions and how to handle them while also learning how to handle the emotions of
others. This is significant because, in nursing, high emotional intelligence is directly linked to
high interpersonal communication skills, which often lead to better patient outcomes and
improved work and social relationships (Turan et al., 2019). This is just one of the reasons why
emotional intelligence is significant in nursing. Ultimately, this gives me a goal to work towards
and, as a result, is the first step in improving my own emotional intelligence.
References
Khademi, E., Abdi, M., Saeidi, M., Piri, S., & Mohammadian, R. (2021). Emotional Intelligence
and Quality of Nursing Care: A Need for Continuous Professional Development. Iranian
Journal of Nursing & Midwifery Research, 26(4), 361–367.
https://doi.org/10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_268_19
Kise, J., & Holm, A. (2021). Discipline Your Emotions. Educational Leadership, 79(2), 56–61.
Sussex Publishers. (n.d.). Emotional intelligence. Psychology Today.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/emotional-intelligence
The Ohio State College of Nursing (n.d.). Emotional intelligence for nurses.
Turan, N., Özdemir Aydın, G., Özsaban, A., Kaya, H., Aksel, G., Yılmaz, A., Hasmaden, E.,
Akkuş, Y., & Gugliandolo, M. C. (2019). Intuition and emotional intelligence: A study in
nursing students. Cogent Psychology, 6(1), 1–14.
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2019.1633077