The relationship between sense of coherence and emotional intelligence as individual health assets for mental health promotion in students and healthcare professionals: a scoping review

Introduction

Workplace Mental health promotion in healthcare sector, is a global priority due to the stress associated with caregiving environments and the increase of mental health problems among health professionals and students. The role of emotional intelligence (EI) and sense of coherence (SOC) have been identified as critical health protectors. However, the relationship between them as well as the underlying mechanisms of these relationships on health benefits in this population is still unclear.

Aim

To synthetize the existing literature on the relationship between emotional intelligence and sense of coherence, as well as their mutual impact on healthcare workers' and student's well-being.

Method

A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. A systematic search was conducted in PsyCINFO, CINHAL, SCOPUS and PUBMED databases, using key-terms such as students, health professionals, emotional intelligence, and sense of coherence.

Results

A total of 11 articles were included, with a range of years from 2014 to 2022. Evidence was found to support the positive relationship between sense of coherence and emotional intelligence. The use of EI as a training pathway to improve SOC and health promoting behaviors is suggested. The benefits of intervening on these factors contribute to improved health professionals' and students' general well-being and motivation for a better performance, either in their studies or clinical work.

Conclusion

The positive relationship between emotional intelligence and a sense of coherence has direct and indirect benefits on students' and healthcare professionals' well-being. Future studies should address longitudinal and experimental analysis to confirm these findings.

Emotional Intelligence and Delivering Bad News in Professional Nursing Practice

Delivering bad news often impacts nurses' emotional well-being and relationships with patients. However, most practice models do not offer a sufficient solution to the distress and reduced job satisfaction that may thus arise. This paper offers a critique of theoretical frameworks for breaking bad news in clinical settings, with the aim of highlighting the inadequate evidence available to guide nursing practice with regard to managing the emotional burden of breaking bad news. Firstly, the concept of emotional intelligence is introduced, followed by an overview of the impact of delivering bad news on the psychological well-being of healthcare workers. Several models for delivering bad news in clinical practice were then presented to emphasise the lack of evidence regarding ways of mitigating the burden associated with breaking bad news. Key components of emotional intelligence are highlighted to increase awareness of this factor among nurses and enable them to improve their interpersonal skills to mitigate the impact of breaking bad news. Enabling nurses to develop emotional self-awareness before utilising these frameworks will likely lead to increased nurse retention rates and improve reflective practice and communication skills, which could, in turn, strengthen nurse-patient relationships and subsequent care planning.

Emotional Intelligence Scale for Male Nursing Students and Its Latent Regression on Gender and Background Variables

This study aimed to develop an emotional intelligence (EI) scale for male nursing students and investigate its associations with gender, age, religious beliefs, and father’s and mother’s education level. We recruited 384 male nursing students in Taiwan to construct an EI scale comprising 16 items with four factors: recognizing the emotions of others, emotional self-awareness, self-emotional expression, and self-emotional management. The scale had factor loadings of 0.64−0.80. The reliability coefficients for the subscales ranged from 0.80 to 0.84, while that for the total scale was 0.93. We also recruited 402 female nursing students for comparison. Latent multiple regression of the EI factors showed that male students had higher self-emotional expression but lower self-emotional management than females. Age was negatively associated with self-emotional management for both genders. Religious beliefs were negatively associated with emotional self-awareness in male students, and with recognizing the emotions of others in females. Father’s and mother’s education had no association with EI in male students; however, father’s education was positively associated with all EI factors in females, and mother’s education was negatively associated with recognizing the emotions of others and self-emotional expression. These results provide insight into male nursing students’ EI and the background variables influencing EI.

Emotional Intelligence Instruments Used in Health Care Education

BACKGROUND

This article aims to describe the content and the psychometric properties of emotional intelligence instruments used in health care education and to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and study success.

METHOD

Six electronic databases were searched in spring 2020. Two researchers participated in the selection and quality assessment of the articles. Ultimately, 26 articles were included in the review.

RESULTS

From the included articles, 18 emotional intelligence instruments were identified. The content of the instruments focused on perception of emotions, understanding of emotions, emotional expression, managing emotions, using emotions, and social awareness and relations. In most of the studies, emotional intelligence was related to study success.

CONCLUSION

The assessment of several important components of emotional intelligence was identified. Comprehensive assessment using the emotional intelligence total score seemed to be the best predictor of study success. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(1):6-11.].

Mediating effects of emotional intelligence and resilience on the relationship between type D personality and caring ability in nursing students: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Nursing students must learn about the core values of nursing care. Thus, education designed to improve their caring ability should be included in nursing curricula. Nursing students' caring ability is reportedly affected by emotional intelligence and resilience. However, no studies have explored whether these qualities have mediating effects on the relationship between nursing students' type D personality and their caring ability.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the mediating effects of emotional intelligence and resilience on the relationship between type D personality and caring ability in nursing students.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional, descriptive survey study.

SETTING

The study was conducted in South Korea.

PARTICIPANTS

278 nursing students.

METHODS

Type D personality, emotional intelligence, resilience, and caring ability were measured using questionnaires. Data were analyzed using Pearson's correlations, regression analysis, and Hayes' Process Macro using the bootstrap method.

RESULTS

Results indicated that type D personality significantly predicted emotional intelligence (B = -6.80, p < .001), resilience (B = -6.77, p < .001), and caring ability (B = -7.20, p = .001). Emotional intelligence mediated the relationship between type D personality and caring ability.

CONCLUSION

Interventions to improve the caring ability of nursing students should include an evaluation of nursing students' emotional intelligence and strategies to promote their emotional intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence and Quality of Nursing Care: A Need for Continuous Professional Development

Background:

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is necessary for personal and professional success. This study aimed to determine the relationship between EI and quality of nursing care from the viewpoint of nurses and patients.

Materials and Methods:

This descriptive correlational study was conducted using convenience sampling to select the patients (n = 300) and census sampling to select the nurses (n = 100) at Amir Alam Hospital in Tabriz, Iran, in 2018. The data collection tools were the Quality Patient Care Scale (QUALPAC) and EI test by Bradberry-Greaves. Data analysis was performed in SPSS Version 20, using t-test, ANOVA, Chi-square, Pearson's correlation test, and multivariate analysis.

Results:

The mean (SD) score of EI was 91.17 (12.33) in nurses, and the mean (SD) score of nursing care quality was 184.01 (37.41) and 202.22 (22.30) from the viewpoint of patients and nurses, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two viewpoints (p = 0.652). However, there was a significant correlation between the nurses' EI and quality of nursing care (r = 1.00, p < 0.001). The educational level was the strongest predictor of increase in nursing care quality from the patients' viewpoint, according to the multivariate analysis (β = −0.27, p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

EI positively affects the quality of nursing care and its dimensions. Therefore, it is recommended that nursing policymakers consider educational programs to strengthen the nurses' EI and enhance the quality of nursing care. Patients, similar to nurses, can be proper indicators of the quality of nursing care; accordingly, simultaneous use of these indicators is suggested.

The Relationship between Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence as a Protective Factor for Healthcare Professionals: Systematic Review

Emotional intelligence is an essential trait and skill for healthcare professionals. Mindfulness meditation has proved to be effective in increasing the wellbeing of those who practice it, leading to better mental health, self-care and job satisfaction. This paper aims to identify the recent evidence on the relationship between mindfulness and emotional intelligence among healthcare professionals and students. A systematic review was conducted including the databases PubMed, Cinhal, PsycINFO and Web of Science. The main variables were emotional intelligence skills and mindfulness practice. Data were extracted according to the following outcomes: authors, year of publication, country, study design, participants, mindfulness training intervention, tools used in data collection and main results. The following inclusion criteria were applied: peer-reviewed articles; published in English or Spanish; published between 2010 and 2020; quantitative methodology; a study population of healthcare professionals or students; the relationship with the aim of the study. The Joanna Briggs Institute criteria were followed for assessing the methodological quality of the selected studies. Three researchers were involved in the review. After the selection process, 10 studies were selected out of the 197 references initially identified. These studies revealed a positive relationship between mindfulness and emotional intelligence, particularly the capacity to regulate emotions. Furthermore, mindfulness is negatively related to emotional exhaustion. Training interventions based on mindfulness have proved to be useful in promoting emotional balance, emotional awareness, emotional acceptance, emotion recognition, expressive suppression and a reduction in emotional exhaustion. This study could serve as a basis for further research on the benefits of emotional intelligence and practicing mindfulness for the bio-psycho-social welfare of healthcare professionals.

'It was quite a shock': A qualitative study of the impact of organisational and personal factors on newly qualified nurses' experiences

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To explore how newly qualified nurses' work experiences are constructed through the interplay between self, workplace and home-life influencing their retention.

BACKGROUND

Nurses are critical to achieving the goal of universal health coverage. However, shortages of nursing staff are endemic. Of particular concern, newly qualified nurses are more likely to leave the nursing workforce. The point of transition to working as a newly qualified nurse is a time of vulnerability. Most studies attempt to discover why nurses leave. This study uses the concept of job embeddedness to examine the experience of this transition and first two years of practice to understand what might help newly qualified nurses stay.

DESIGN

Qualitative approach using semi-structured telephone interviews.

METHODS

Self-selecting sample of nurses (n = 23) who participated 1-year (n = 12) and 2 years (n = 11) post-qualification. Participants were part of a larger longitudinal cohort (n = 867) study which has followed them since September 2013 when they entered nurse education in two Scottish universities. Thematic analysis was used to understand the interplay between organisation/workplace and the individual.

RESULTS

Three themes were developed: transition shock; workplace factors and work/life balance. Two further subthemes were developed: experience of support and belonging; and feeling unsupported and alienated. Eight participants had changed job or left, and two were looking to leave nursing.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights how the experience of transition shock can be positively or negatively impacted by the workplace environment, and how in turn this impacts the home environment. Ultimately, this impacts retention of newly qualified nurses.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Having adequate support resources, such as staffing, supportive team morale, professional development and family-friendly work environment, can create a work environment where they feel the purpose and meaningfulness of working as a nurse. This 'job embeddedness' can potentially enhance nurse retention. Reporting follows the COREQ checklist.

Impact of intrapersonal and interpersonal emotional intelligence and self-directed learning on academic performance among pre-university science students

Provision of equitable access to university education is the primary goal of pre-university education. Academically weak students stand to benefit more from pre-university program. However, available literature on effectiveness of the program revealed that high percentage of students still fail pre-university courses. Although the role of psycho-emotional factors on student academic performance has been highlighted, mechanism through which psycho-emotional factors impact on academic performance of pre-university science students is still not clear to offer adequate insights for proper intervention program. Therefore, we examined the pre-university students' academic performance in sciences in relation to Emotional Intelligence (EI) (Interpersonal EI and Intrapersonal EI) and Self-directed Learning (SDL). Specifically, a correlational study design was conducted to measure and gauge the level of relationships amongst Interpersonal EI, Intrapersonal EI, SDL and academic performance of pre-university students. The participants were 443 Nigerian students enrolled in pre-university science program. Students' self-report on EI and SDL were gathered and analyzed using SPSS 26 and AMOS 24. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were performed to determine cross-cultural validity of the instruments in the Nigerian context. After controlling for gender and age, the hierarchical regression analysis reveals that student academic performance was positively predicted by perceived Interpersonal and Intrapersonal EI, whereas self-directed learning has an inconsistent predictive impact at different steps in the model. Overall, the predictor variables were able to explain substantial proportion of students’ academic performance in pre-university program. Insightful suggestions were made.

Emotional intelligence and authentic leadership among Saudi nursing leaders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have found that emotional intelligence has a remarkable influence on authentic leadership. However, the conceivable relationship between emotional intelligence and authentic leadership was unclear, as were the hypothetical bases used in previous studies.

PURPOSE

To determine the correlation between emotional intelligence and authentic leadership of the nursing leaders and the socio-demographic characteristics by which emotional intelligence and authentic leadership vary.

METHODS

Data derived from 152 of the distributed 180 questionnaires were analyzed (84.44% response rate). Nurse leaders in the academy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were assessed from April to July of 2019. t-Tests were used to test gender differences, while the Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were employed for age, position, and years of experience. The relationship between the emotional intelligence and authentic leadership scores was analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficients (bivariate r). The relationships of the four dimensions in the emotional intelligence construct and overall emotional intelligence were assessed using multiple regression analysis and simple linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

Age and years of experience significantly and positively related to emotional intelligence, whereas gender, age, and years of experience in the current position (p = 0.026) were significant regarding authentic leadership. The emotional intelligence total score strongly and positively related to authentic leadership. The regression results on the four emotional intelligence dimensions indicated that the extent of using emotions had the strongest influence on authentic leadership (B = 0.99) followed by appraisal of one's emotions (B = 0.70) and appraisal of others' emotions (B = 0.69). The simple regression analysis indicated that, for every one-point increase in total emotional intelligence score, authentic leadership score increased by 0.086.

CONCLUSION

Age and years of experience were significant factors explaining variation in emotional intelligence, whereas gender, age, and years of experience in the current position were significant for explaining variation in authentic leadership. Using emotions was the strongest influence on authentic leadership, and the emotional intelligence dimension measuring regulation of emotion had no significant influence on authentic leadership.

Emotional intelligence of nursing applicants and factors related to it: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Emotions influence patient care decisions and professional relationships. Emotional intelligence has been proven to predict nursing students' success in clinical practice and academic performance. Scarce amount of studies have assessed the emotional intelligence in the nursing student selection context.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the emotional intelligence of applicants to undergraduate (bachelor level) nursing education and the factors related to it.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional quantitative study.

SETTINGS

The data collection took place in four Universities of Applied Sciences in October 2016.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants were nursing applicants (N = 529) who took part in the entrance exams of the four Universities. Overall, 430 applicants (response rate 81%, 75 males) gave permission to access their results for the study's purposes.

METHODS

The Rankein Scale measure of emotional intelligence was used. All of the nursing applicants undertook the same electronic entrance exam in supervised computer classrooms. Statistical analysis included the use of two independent samples tests to compare differences in emotional intelligence scores and ANCOVA models to investigate whether background variables explained the observed differences.

RESULTS

In this study, nursing applicants' level of emotional intelligence was found to be average (on a scale of below average, average, above average). However, total scores ranged between 102 and 160 (of 160). Approximately 4% of the applicants scored below the minimum score (<130) and therefore failed the emotional intelligence test. A statistically significant difference was found between the pass and fail groups in terms of the total score. Significant differences were also found in the three subscores and in the total score of admitted and not admitted applicants.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing applicants enter their studies with differing EI skills. This finding may have a major impact on how nursing students experience emotions during their studies. More research is needed to establish the use of EI in student selection context.

Self-Efficacy and Emotional Intelligence as Predictors of Perceived Stress in Nursing Professionals

Background: Nursing professionals face a variety of stressful situations daily, where the patients’ own stresses and the demands of their family members are the most important sources of such stress. Methods: The main objectives pursued were to describe the relationships of self-efficacy and emotional intelligence with perceived stress in a sample of nursing professionals. We also developed predictive models for each of the components of perceived stress based on the dimensions of emotional intelligence and self-efficacy, for the total sample, as well as samples differentiated by sex. This study sample consisted of 1777 nurses and was conducted using multiple scales: the perceived stress questionnaire, general self-efficacy scale, and the brief emotional intelligence survey for senior citizens. Results: The variables stress management, mood, adaptability, intrapersonal skills, and self-efficacy explained 22.7% of the variance in the harassment–social component, while these same variables explained 28.9% of the variance in the irritability–tension–fatigue dimension. The variables mood, stress management, self-efficacy, intrapersonal, and interpersonal explained 38.6% of the variance in the energy–joy component, of which the last variable offers the most explanatory capacity. Finally, the variables stress management, mood, interpersonal, self-efficacy and intrapersonal skills explained 27.2% of the variance in the fear–anxiety dimension. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that one way to reduce stress in professionals would be to help them improve their emotional intelligence in programs (tailored to consider particularities of either sex) within the framework of nursing, enabling them to develop and acquire more effective stress coping strategies, which would alleviate distress and increase the wellbeing of health professionals.

Emotional intelligence, empathy and alexithymia: a cross-sectional survey on emotional competence in a group of nursing students

Background:

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize and manage one’s own and others’ emotions, empathy is the ability to understand how others feel, whereas alexithymia represents the difficulty in feeling and verbally expressing emotions. Emotional competences are important requirements for positive outcomes in nursing profession.

The aim of the study:

To analyze EI, empathy and alexithymia in nursing students.

Methods:

We conducted a cross-sectional survey in a sample of 237 students (53 males, 184 females), attending both the 1st and 3rd year of the University Nursing Course in Modena. We administered three Italian validated scales: Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT), Jefferson Scale of Empathy - Health Professions Student (JSE-HPS), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Data were statistically analyzed.

Results:

Statistically significant differences were found between the 1st and 3rd year students at SSEIT (t=-0.6, p=0.52), JSE-HPS (t=-3.2, p=0.0016) and TAS-20 scores (t=-3.54, p=0.0005). Among 3rd year students, females obtained significantly different scores from those of males at SSEIT (t=2.8, p=0.006). All three scales reported a Cronbach’s alpha >0.80. SSEIT correlated positively with JSE-HPS (Spearman’s rho=0.15, p=0.02) and negatively with TAS-20 (Spearman’s rho=-0.18, p=0.006).

Conclusions:

Our study highlighted a good level of emotional skills among students at the beginning of nursing training, further increased by the last year of the course, suggesting that emotional competences can be learned, and confirmed that empathy, but not alexithymia, is a dimension of EI. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Emotional Intelligence Buffers the Effects of Negative Emotions on Job Burnout in Nursing

The study was designed to examine whether trait emotional intelligence would moderate the impact of negative emotions at work on job burnout. A total of 188 female nurses participated in this study and completed measures of trait affectivity, emotional intelligence, anger and sadness at work, and burnout. The results revealed significant and positive relationships between both types of negative emotions and burnout above and beyond demographics and the nurses' trait affectivity. Importantly, the study demonstrated that trait emotional intelligence buffers the effects of negative emotions on burnout. Specifically, anger- and sadness-related emotions predicted greater burnout among nurses with low trait emotional intelligence but not among nurses with high trait emotional intelligence. These results suggest that emotional intelligence training could be implemented to prevent the adverse effect of negative emotions felt at work on job burnout.

The relationship amongst student nurses’ values, emotional intelligence and individualised care perceptions

Background:

Students’ gaining and adopting basic professional values, improving their emotional intelligence skills during the process of nursing education plays a significant role on meeting the needs of healthy/patient individual and his or her family, and individualized care practices.

Objectives:

This (descriptive, correlational) research was carried out to evaluate the nursing values, emotional intelligence levels, and individualized care perceptions of senior nursing students and to determine the relationship between them.

Research question:

(1) What is the status of students to adopt nursing values? (2) What is the level of students’ emotional intelligence? (3) What is the students’ individualized care perception? (4) Is there a relationship between students’ nursing values, levels of emotional intelligence, and individualized perceptions of care?

Participants and research context:

The research was carried out with 218 senior nursing students at the Faculty of Nursing, affiliated to a state university in Istanbul, who agreed to participate in the study, completing basic nursing education in May 2017.

Ethical considerations:

Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Clinical Investigations of the Istanbul University Dentistry Faculty. Written permission was also obtained from the institution that research would be conducted. Before the data were collected, verbal permission was obtained by the investigator.

Findings:

It was observed that nursing values perceptions of students, emotional intelligence levels and individualized care perceptions were at a good level and there was a supportive relationship between them in the positive direction. It was determined that emotional intelligence skills of students, adoption of nursing values and individualized care perceptions increased in parallel with each other.

Conclusion:

In nursing education, nursing values peculiar to affective field, caring behaviors, and emotional intelligence skills that are guiding to maintain and direct these behaviors should be gained to students by supporting with correct learning methods and role models.

Emotional intelligence among nursing students: Findings from a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Emotional intelligence in nursing is of global interest. International studies identify that emotional intelligence influences nurses' work and relationships with patients. It is associated with compassion and care. Nursing students scored higher on measures of emotional intelligence compared to students of other study programmes. The level of emotional intelligence increases with age and tends to be higher in women.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to measure the differences in emotional intelligence between nursing students with previous caring experience and those without; to examine the effects of gender on emotional intelligence scores; and to test whether nursing students score higher than engineering colleagues on emotional intelligence measures.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used.

SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS

The study included 113 nursing and 104 engineering students at the beginning of their first year of study at a university in Slovenia.

DATA

Emotional intelligence was measured using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) and Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT).

METHODS

Shapiro-Wilk's test of normality was used to test the sample distribution, while the differences in mean values were tested using Student t-test of independent samples.

RESULTS

Emotional intelligence was higher in nursing students (n = 113) than engineering students (n = 104) in both measures [TEIQue t = 3.972; p < 0.001; SSEIT t = 8.288; p < 0.001]. Although nursing female students achieved higher emotional intelligence scores than male students on both measures, the difference was not statistically significant [TEIQue t = -0.839; p = 0.403; SSEIT t = -1.159; p = 0.249]. EI scores in nursing students with previous caring experience were not higher compared to students without such experience for any measure [TEIQue t = -1.633; p = 0.105; SSEIT t = -0.595; p = 0.553].

CONCLUSIONS

Emotional intelligence was higher in nursing than engineering students, and slightly higher in women than men. It was not associated with previous caring experience.