Emotional Intelligence and Critical Thinking in Nursing Students: Integrative Review of Literature

One Profession, Two Ways of Thinking: Challenges in Developing Australia's Nursing Workforce

Professional education for licensed nurses in Australia is a complicated matter involving two education systems-vocational education and training, and higher education-each characterized by a different curriculum model. The contribution of the two systems follows a division of the workforce into Enrolled Nurses and Registered Nurses, with vocational education serving the first division and higher education the second. Although the systems are intended to provide connecting educational and career pathways, it results in a binary education landscape featuring two distinct forms of curriculum and contrasting assumptions about knowledge. This discursive discussion analyses the impact of the competency-based curriculum on Enrolled Nurses' education, entry to the profession of nursing, and their aspirational educational pathways towards registered nursing. Many Enrolled Nurses successfully articulate to become Registered Nurses; however, we argue that traversing between the two distinct curriculum approaches creates barriers to these transitions. We also argue that apart from undermining the learning trajectories of nurses, the influence of the competency-based curriculum model threatens the coherence of the profession at a time when conditions of work are both intensified and globalized, calling for a solution in the form of curriculum harmonization.

Effects of humanistic care digital storytelling programme on the humanistic qualities of intensive care unit nursing students: A mixed-methods study

AIM

To explore the effects of a humanistic care digital storytelling programme on the humanistic care ability, empathy, emotional intelligence and clinical communication ability.

BACKGROUND

Humanistic qualities are vital for patient satisfaction and nursing quality. However, traditional nursing curricula may impede their development, especially in intensive care unit settings. Digital storytelling shows promise, but its effectiveness in enhancing humanistic qualities remains unclear.

DESIGN

A quasi-experimental design with repeated measures, using a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach.

METHODS

In a tertiary hospital in Changsha, China, 37 nursing students participated in the intervention group and 40 in the control group. The four-week intervention included educational sessions, reflective diaries and discussion groups. Humanistic qualities were assessed quantitatively at baseline, post-intervention and one-month follow-up using repeated measures ANOVA. Qualitative data from diaries and interviews were analyzed using reflective thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The intervention group demonstrated significantly improved humanistic care ability and empathy scores compared with controls (p < 0.05). Interaction effects were significant for both humanistic care ability (p < 0.05) and emotional intelligence (p < 0.001). The intervention group also showed statistically significant improvements in humanistic care ability and emotional intelligence at both post-intervention and follow-up (p < 0.05). Qualitative analysis revealed four themes: Infectious fusion and Educational Significance, Balancing Enjoyment and Reflection, Complementary Relationship between the Teaching Curriculum and Clinical Practice and Recommendations for Improving the Teaching curriculum.

CONCLUSION

The digital storytelling programme effectively enhances humanistic qualities among intensive care unit nursing students, supporting its integration into nursing education for improved outcomes.

Influence of Critical Thinking Disposition, Clinical Reasoning Competence, and Nursing Practice Environment on Medication Safety Competence of Hospital Nurses

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the impact of nurses' critical thinking disposition, clinical reasoning competency, and nursing practice environment on their medication safety competency.

METHODS

A cross-sectional design was employed, involving a convenience sample of 210 nurses from four tertiary general hospitals and two general hospitals. Data were collected in September 2023 utilizing structured online self-report questionnaires and analyzed utilizing descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression with SPSS/WIN 28.0 software.

RESULTS

Significant positive relationships (p < 0.001) were found between nurses' medication safety competence and critical thinking disposition (r = 0.47), clinical reasoning competence (r = 0.67), and nursing practice environment (r = 0.40). Factors influencing medication safety competence were identified as clinical reasoning competence (β = 0.55, p < 0.001), nursing practice environment (β = 0.30, p < 0.001), and critical thinking disposition (β = 0.19, p < 0.001). The regression model accounted for 57% of the variance in medication safety competence and was statistically significant (F = 91.70, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight key factors influencing medication safety competence of nurses and underscore the need for targeted strategies to enhance patient safety by optimizing critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and the nursing practice environment in healthcare settings.

A Practical Guide for Improving and Evaluating the Components of Emotional Intelligence in Healthcare Students

Emotional intelligence (EI) is essential for healthcare professionals as it can improve their overall performance at multiple levels. However, healthcare professionals do not adequately improve their EI during their university education. Therefore, in this perspective article, we present a practical guide for teaching and evaluating the components of EI in healthcare students, and the most common challenges/barriers for implementing EI to healthcare education curricula. The guide includes teaching methods and at least one validated questionnaire to improve and evaluate each of the five components of EI as described by Goleman: self-awareness, self-motivation, self-regulation, empathy, and social skill. In conclusion, this guide could help healthcare educators enhance the EI of their students.

Emotional Intelligence and Critical Thinking: Relevant Factors for Training Future Teachers in a Chilean Pedagogy Program

Critical thinking has become one of the most notable cognitive skills in education in recent decades since it offers skills for improving knowledge, making decisions, and creativity, among others. While it is considered a mainly cognitive process, recent years have seen strong proposals regarding its relationship with motivational and emotional processes. A study is presented that analyzes the relationship between critical thinking and emotional intelligence, analyzing the relations and influences between these variables. Two instruments were applied to 658 Chilean pedagogy students with ages ranging from 19 to 47 years old. The results indicate a moderate level of critical thinking and a high level of emotional intelligence, along with a positive and significant but moderately low relationship between emotional intelligence and critical thinking. There are no gender differences, meaning that men and women developed these skills in a similar way, but differences were found between age groups. The study highlights the relevance of promoting both critical thinking and emotional intelligence in training future teachers and the need to generate new studies about how these skills are developed in teacher training.

Impacts of platform-based CBL on undergraduate nursing students' academic performance, self-efficacy, clinical decision-making and critical thinking abilities: A cluster randomized controlled trial

AIM

To compare the effects of traditional and platform-based case-based learning (CBL) on undergraduate nursing students' academic performance, self-efficacy, clinical decision-making and critical thinking abilities.

BACKGROUND

Traditional CBL can improve students' academic performance but faces challenges in the era of "Internet + education." It is unclear whether platform-based CBL is as effective as traditional CBL.

DESIGN

Cluster randomized controlled trial.

METHOD

A total of 88 undergraduate nursing students from two classes were recruited using cluster sampling and separated into two groups by class. The control group (n = 45) received traditional CBL, and the experimental group (n = 43) received platform-based CBL. Academic performance, self-efficacy, clinical decision-making, critical thinking disposition and experimental group's learning records from the online platform were evaluated.

RESULTS

No difference was found between the two groups in overall academic performance, but formative evaluation and final examination scores in the course differed. Compared with the control group, the experimental group presented significant differences in self-efficacy and clinical decision-making. There was no difference between the total clinical thinking disposition scores; however, truth-seeking, systematicity and self-confidence exhibited significant differences. Concerning student progression, all experimental students advanced from "Grade I" to "Grade V" or "Grade IV". The usability questionnaire's average score regarding the platform was 77.03 (SD 7.43) and the top dimension was teaching utility.

CONCLUSION

Compared with traditional CBL, platform-based CBL may better enhance self-efficacy and clinical decision-making abilities in nursing undergraduate students.

The Role of Critical Thinking in Mitigating Social Network Addiction: A Study of TikTok and Instagram Users

This study addresses the growing concern of social network (SN) addiction, with a focus on TikTok and Instagram. Guided by the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), we explored the motivations (escapism and social interaction), attitudes (critical thinking), and states (flow and sense of belonging) that influence SN use. Our objective was to investigate whether critical thinking acts as a protective factor against SN addiction. A sample of 332 university students completed questionnaires assessing motivations, attitudes, states, and SN addiction. Critical thinking was measured using the Critical Thinking Attitude Scale (CTAS), and critical thinking skills were assessed through the Critical Reasoning Assessment (CRA). Statistical analyses revealed significant associations between motivations, critical thinking, states, and SN addiction. Specifically, critical thinking (CTAS scores) demonstrated a negative correlation with SN addiction (r = -0.34, p < 0.01), indicating that higher critical thinking is associated with lower SN addiction. Regression analysis further indicated that escapism (β = 0.45, p < 0.01) and social interaction (β = 0.31, p < 0.05) positively predicted SN addiction, while critical thinking negatively predicted SN addiction (β = -0.28, p < 0.01). Additionally, states of flow and sense of belonging showed significant positive correlations with SN addiction (r = 0.42, p < 0.01 and r = 0.37, p < 0.01, respectively). These findings highlight the potential of critical thinking as a safeguard against SN addiction. This study offers valuable insights into the intricate dynamics of SN use, with implications for promoting healthier digital engagement. Understanding the factors influencing SN addiction and the roles of motivations, dispositions, and states can inform interventions aimed at fostering responsible and mindful online behaviors.

How Can Nursing Faculty Create Case Studies Using AI and Educational Technology?

BACKGROUND

Applying artificial intelligence (AI) technology to the development of unfolding case studies in nursing education can reduce barriers to implementation of this educational strategy.

PROBLEM

Unfolding case studies are effective for improving nursing student outcomes related to clinical judgment skills, but these are often time consuming and difficult to develop.

APPROACH

This article describes the use of AI in developing case studies for nursing education.

OUTCOMES

Both students and faculty found case studies developed using an AI platform to be effective learning tools, and faculty especially found that using this platform greatly reduced the time required to develop cases.

CONCLUSION

The use of AI to support development of unfolding case studies is an innovation that allows flexibility for faculty as well as improving student outcomes in practice domains that may otherwise be difficult to target.

Navigating challenges and opportunities: Nursing student's views on generative AI in higher education

AIM

This qualitative study aims to explore the perspectives of nursing students regarding the application and integration of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in their studies.

BACKGROUND

With the increasing prevalence of generative AI tools in academic settings, there is a growing interest in their use among students for learning and assessments.

DESIGN

Employing a qualitative descriptive design, this study used semi-structured interviews with nursing students to capture the nuanced insights of the participants.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were digitally recorded and then transcribed verbatim. The research team reviewed all the data independently and then convened to discuss and reach a consensus on the identified themes.

RESULTS

This study was conducted within the discipline of nursing at a regional Australian university. Thirteen nursing students, from both first and second year of the programme, were interviewed as part of this study. Six distinct themes emerged from the data analysis, including the educational impact of AI tools, equitable learning environment, ethical considerations of AI use, technology integration, safe and practical utility and generational differences.

CONCLUSIONS

This initial exploration sheds light on the diverse perspectives of nursing students concerning the incorporation of generative AI tools in their education. It underscores the potential for both positive contributions and challenges associated with the integration of generative AI in nursing education and practice.

Experiences of Nursing Students Regarding Challenges and Support for Resilience during Clinical Education: A Qualitative Study

Nursing students require resilience to navigate the complexities of clinical practice. This characteristic is essential for managing demanding workloads, unpredictable patient situations, and emotional stressors while maintaining performance and well-being. Fostering resilience helps students develop the capacity to adapt to adversity, overcome setbacks, and remain committed to providing high-quality patient care. This qualitative study explores the challenges and supports influencing nursing students' resilience during clinical education. Interviews with 28 Thai nursing students revealed two key themes: the "experience of vulnerability" and the "experience of meaningfulness". The sub-themes of vulnerability included "navigating uncertainty", "transcending professional struggles", and "being exposed to diverse encounters". The sub-themes of meaningfulness focused on restoring strength through social interactions and engaging in positive transformation. This study highlights the need for comprehensive support systems that address personal and professional vulnerabilities. Integrating caring theory principles could further enhance resilience by emphasizing compassionate care and fostering student empathy. This suggests that instructors and stakeholders can significantly impact student well-being by creating supportive environments built on collaboration, empathy, and mentorship, all of which are aligned with caring theory.

Evaluating Critical Thinking Disposition, Emotional Intelligence, and Learning Environment of Nursing Students: A Longitudinal Study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic may have inhibited the development of critical thinking and emotional intelligence of nursing students due to the transition from traditional to online learning environments.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to evaluate the development of critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and the perceived learning environment of nursing students during the pandemic from their first to second year.

METHODS

This was a longitudinal study of 82 nursing students from 2 universities in Greece. We measured critical thinking disposition, emotional intelligence, and the students' perceptions of the learning environment in 2 phases, separated by a 10 month interval, before and during the pandemic.

RESULTS

Students had moderate-to-high critical thinking and emotional intelligence and perceived the learning environment as more positive than negative in both phases. However, there were no statistically significant changes between phases in critical thinking disposition (mean score 44.3 vs 45.1, p = .224) and emotional intelligence (mean score 5.05 vs 5.06, p = .950) between the 2 phases. Nevertheless, students rated the online learning environment (phase 2) higher than the traditional (mean score 137.8 vs 132.2, p = .005).

CONCLUSIONS

Critical thinking and emotional intelligence did not change, but students favored the online learning environment over the traditional. These findings suggest that nurse educators persevered, adapted, and maintained the quality of the learning environment despite the pandemic. Moreover, the utilization of an online learning environment may have led to enhanced enjoyment and engagement for students, which could potentially result in improved learning outcomes.

A Descriptive Study Examining the Correlation of Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Styles to Conflict Management Styles of Nursing School Administrators

AIM

This study aimed to identify if a correlation exists among trait emotional intelligence (EI), leadership styles, and conflict management styles used by nurse education administrators.

BACKGROUND

Nursing is fraught with incivility, bullying, and increasing physical aggression. Conflict surrounds nurses at every level. EI and leadership styles in nursing have been addressed. Few studies were found that addressed conflict management by nurse education administrators.

METHOD

A quantitative nonexperimental correlational design using discriminant analysis was used in this study.

RESULTS

Trait EI factors of emotionality and sociability correlated with conflict management styles. Leadership styles and conflict management styles were situational; management styles of integrating and compromising were underused in conflict situations.

CONCLUSION

Nurse education administrators are in a position to become disruptive innovators in changing the nursing culture. The increased use of conflict management styles of integrating and compromising can help address incivility and bullying.

The impact of mindfulness on nurses' perceived professional benefits: the mediating roles of workplace spirituality and work-life balance

This study delves into the effects of mindfulness on workplace spirituality, work-life balance, and perceived professional benefits among nurses operating in the high-pressure environments of hospitals in Jiangxi Province, China. Utilizing a robust sample of 303 valid questionnaires and employing partial least squares (PLS) analysis, the research uncovers a significant positive relationship between mindfulness and workplace spirituality. Furthermore, it demonstrates how both workplace spirituality and work-life balance serve as crucial mediators in enhancing nurses' perception of their professional benefits. The findings illuminate the potential of mindfulness training in substantially elevating job satisfaction and reducing burnout among nurses. The study not only reinforces the value of mindfulness in the healthcare sector but also advocates for its integration into professional development programs and healthcare policies. By doing so, it aims to bolster the overall wellbeing and professional effectiveness of nurses facing the myriad challenges inherent in demanding healthcare environments. This study contributes to the growing discourse on mindfulness in occupational settings, highlighting its pivotal role in enhancing both the personal wellbeing and professional capabilities of healthcare professionals.

The Relationship Between the Emotional Intelligence and Clinical Decision Making Among Nursing Students

Introduction

Emotional intelligence is a crucial factor in managing stress and maintaining overall well-being. Emotions are essential for clinical care quality, as they drive clinical decision making.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between emotional intelligence and clinical decision making among fourth-year nursing students.

Methods

The study was a cross-sectional study done on a convenience sample of 225 fourth-year nursing students. Data collection was performed by the "Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test" (SSEIT) and the "clinical decision making scale".

Results

The analysis revealed that the emotional intelligence mean was 151.3 ± 1.9 (ranging from 33 to 165), which is high. The analysis indicated that the clinical decision making of the participants was high (177.1.3 ± 9.8) (ranging from 40 to 200). Also, the analysis showed that there was a strong positive relationship between nursing students' emotional intelligence and clinical decision making (r = .70, p = 0.001). Furthermore, the findings revealed that emotional intelligence was a predictor of clinical decision making.

Conclusion

The emotional intelligence and clinical decision making among fourth-year nursing students were high. Also, clinical decision making was found to have strong positive relationship with emotional intelligence.

Nursing students' emotional empathy, emotional intelligence and higher education-related stress: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Nursing is one of the critically important disciplines in healthcare. Due to its complexity and specificity, nursing students often face additional higher education-related stress. However, there is less research on higher education-related stress among nursing students. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of emotional empathy and emotional intelligence on the dimensions of higher education-related stress among nursing students.

METHODS

This study utilized a multi-stage sampling design and was completed within the March-June 2023 period. A total of 1126 nursing students were recruited to complete the questionnaire. The self-administered questionnaire included the basic characteristics of the subjects, an emotional empathy scale, an emotional intelligence scale, and a higher education-related stress scale. One-way ANOVA/t-tests, correlation coefficients, and hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to explore the factors affecting higher education-related stress and the relationship between emotional empathy and emotional intelligence with the dimensions of higher education-related stress.

RESULTS

The mean (SD) scores of challenges and dissatisfaction dimensions of higher education-related stress among nursing students were 30.052 (7.466) and 8.270 (2.205), respectively. Emotional empathy was significantly and positively related to the challenges and dissatisfaction dimensions of higher education-related stress. Emotional intelligence was negatively correlated with the challenges dimension of higher education-related stress and positively correlated with the dissatisfaction dimension. Stratified multiple regression analyses revealed that nursing students' emotional empathy and emotional intelligence were significant predictors of the dimensions of higher education-related stress.

CONCLUSION

Overall, emotional empathy and emotional intelligence were significantly correlated with all dimensions of higher education-related stress. Consequently, in future interventions, the Chinese government and education sector can develop nursing students' ability to use emotional empathy and emotional intelligence rationally through emotional regulation strategies and emotional intelligence courses, to reduce the higher education-related stress they experience.

Factors associated with the critical thinking ability among nursing students: An exploratory study in Iran

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Critical thinking is a crucial skill in nursing that nursing students should apply in their work environment. It involves analyzing, evaluating, and interpreting information. It is used in various topics such as disease diagnosis, treatment planning and implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of results, problem-solving, and decision-making in emergencies. This study in Iran aimed to evaluate factors associated with nursing students' critical thinking ability.

STUDY METHOD

Following the STROBE guidelines, an analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in Ardabil province, northwest Iran. The study collected data through convenience sampling at nursing schools in Ardabil province, with a sample of 246 nursing students participating. The data collected from a demographic information form and the Persian version of the Nursing Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice Questionnaire were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0 software.

RESULTS

The study found that the overall mean score of clinical critical thinking among nursing students was 313.87 ± 25.80 (range = 109-436). Based on this score, most students reported low (63%) or moderate (37%) clinical critical thinking levels. The highest and lowest mean scores between dimensions were related to the intellectual and cognitive (127.99 ± 13.30) and technical (17.25 ± 3.43), respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that semester and college were predictors of clinical critical thinking among nursing students. The selected predictors accounted for 19.3% of the total variance in clinical critical thinking scores (F = 9.396, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The study results showed that nursing students could have performed better in critical thinking ability. The study suggests that nursing education programs should prioritize teaching critical thinking skills in clinical settings as it is an essential subject in nursing education. With significant changes in nursing clinical environments, enhancing clinical critical thinking can improve nursing student performance clinically. Therefore, one of the crucial learning objectives in a clinical nursing course is to develop clinical critical thinking skills for nursing students.

Critical thinking among institutional academic advisors and sociodemographic, professional and academic variables: A multicenter correlation study

BACKGROUND

In nursing education, essential skills include Critical Thinking (CT). There is scant evidence on how nurse educators could promote CT in students in a clinical context.

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the level of CT and correlated variables in healthcare nurses overseeing the clinicals of nursing undergraduates.

METHODS

The study population were all nurse educators for clinicals at hospitals with nursing undergraduates. To evaluate the CT skills of nurses the Nursing Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice Questionnaire (N-CT-4 practice) was administered. Frequencies, percentages and measures of central tendency and scatter were obtained. A bivariate analysis was performed to analyze the correlation between the nurse educators' CT level and the sociodemographic, professional and academic levels. The nonparametric Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare two independent groups. Statistical significance was defined as P < .05.

RESULTS

The total number of participants was 639. The highest mean CT level was seen in clinical nurses involved in undergraduate nursing instruction and with experience of up to 10 years (mean CT score = 372 (33.3), p = .007). Global CT levels were similar in women and men (mean CT score: 364 (31.9) in women and 358 (40.5) in men, p = .187), with statistically significant differences only observed in the intellectual and cognitive indicator (P = .022).

CONCLUSIONS

CT levels are high in teaching healthcare professionals in the clinical environment.

Emotional intelligence is more important than the learning environment in improving critical thinking

PURPOSE

To examine the association of critical thinking (CT) and emotional intelligence (EI) versus CT and learning environment (LE) in order to investigate which has the greatest influence EI or LE.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 340 s-year healthcare university students in two nursing and one medical schools from three universities in Greece, between October and December 2020. Critical Thinking Disposition Scale, Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure, and Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form were administered. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis, with five steps, was used to compare the associations of CT and EI to CT and LE.

RESULTS

Participants' mean age (years) was 20.9 (6.6 SD); 82.6% female; 86.8% studying nursing. Students mean scores were moderate to high for CT disposition (44.7 ± 4.68). The general characteristics (age, gender, and school) were not significantly associated with CT (p > 0.05). However, CT was positively associated with LE (UCB = 0.064 & p < 0.001) and EI (UCB = 1.522 & p < 0.001). Moreover, CT seems to be associated in a higher degree (R² change adj = 0.036 & p < 0.001) with emotional intelligence (UCB = 1.522) than with learning environment (UCB = 0.064).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest a different more optimal pathway for educators to improve the CT of their students through EI and not with LE as believed till now. By focusing on improving EI, educators may help their students become critical thinkers, who will provide better quality of care.

Understanding emotional intelligence and its relationship to clinical reasoning in senior nursing students: A mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

The complex healthcare environment requires nursing students to be prepared to effectively reason in emotionally charged situations. Clinical reasoning is a complex cognitive process that involves many elements, with little attention given to the role of emotions in this process.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the EI of senior Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students and its relationship to clinical reasoning to gain a better understanding of how emotions are used in clinical learning experiences.

METHODS

This study utilized a convergent parallel mixed methods design.

RESULTS

Quantitative findings indicated a positive relationship between Strategic EI and the clinical reasoning scale of inference (r_s = 0.489, p = .044). A positive relationship was also found between the EI branch of Understanding Emotions and overall clinical reasoning (r_s = 0.559, p = .024) and the clinical reasoning scale of induction (r_s = 0.530, p = .035). The three categories that resulted from the qualitative findings: (1) Sadness for…, (2) Shifting Emotions, and (3) Presence converged with quantitative findings.

CONCLUSION

EI is an important construct when it comes to reasoning and providing care during clinical experiences. Fostering the development of EI may be one way nurse educators can better prepare nurses for safe practice.

Linking Learning Environment and Critical Thinking through Emotional Intelligence: A Cross-Sectional Study of Health Sciences Students

Background: Health sciences educators should increase the critical thinking of their students as this may improve the quality of care. However, this is rarely considered as a critical point in teaching, despite studies identifying factors such as the learning environment and emotional intelligence as increasing critical thinking at an undergraduate level. Thus, there is a need to better explore these factors and investigate interrelations and ways of improving critical thinking, especially in the critical field of healthcare students (nursing and medicine). Objectives: The present study aimed to examine the potential relationships between critical thinking with emotional intelligence and the learning environment. Method: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study with 208 first year health sciences university students of two nursing departments and one medicine department from three universities in Greece. The Critical Thinking Disposition Scale, Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure, and Trait Emotional Intelligence-Short Form questionnaires were used to assess critical thinking, the education environment, and emotional intelligence, respectively. Results: The results demonstrate that critical thinking was positively related to emotional intelligence (β = 0.82, p < 0.001), but not to the learning environment (β = 1.06, p = 0.30). However, a structural equation modeling analysis supported the indirect relationship between the learning environment and critical thinking through emotional intelligence (M = 1.10, CI = 0.13–2.17, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Emotional intelligence may be the underlying mechanism for achieving critical thinking if it is well applied and cultivated in a learning environment. Therefore, universities could modify their curricula and place emotional intelligence at the epicenter of teaching.

Influence of Emotional Skills on Attitudes towards Communication: Nursing Students vs. Nurses

Communication in nursing is essential to the quality of care and patients' satisfaction, and personal variables such as empathy and emotional intelligence (EI) can improve it; however, no studies have to date analyzed these competencies and their relations among nursing students compared with nurses. The aims of this study are, therefore, to analyze the differences between nursing students and nurses in the means for empathy, EI and attitudes towards communication in order to assess the impact of empathy and EI on nurses' and nursing students' attitudes towards communication, and their influence on the behavioral dimension of attitude. A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on a convenience sample of 961 nursing students and 460 nurses from the Valencian Community, Spain. T-test and hierarchical regression models (HRM) were used. The data was collected in the selected universities in the 2018/2019 academic year. The results showed high levels in all the variables analyzed (i.e., empathy, EI, and attitudes towards communication) in both samples. The HRM results suggested that empathy was a better predictor than EI of the attitudes towards patient communication among both the nursing students and nurses. In the behavioral dimension of the attitude, the cognitive and affective dimensions had greater weight than the emotional component (i.e., empathy and EI). Developing empathy and the cognitive dimension of the attitude in nursing students and nurses could, therefore, help improve EI and attitudes towards communication. These findings are important for developing intervention programs adjusted to real needs.

Emotional intelligence competencies in the undergraduate nursing curriculum: A descriptive qualitative study

BACKGROUND

The evidence suggests that emotional intelligence is an essential interpersonal skill for the nursing profession, but there is a paucity in the literature about how these competencies are integrated into the undergraduate curriculum.

OBJECTIVES

To explore how undergraduate nursing faculty incorporated emotional intelligence competencies in baccalaureate nursing education.

DESIGN AND SETTINGS

The design for this study was a qualitative descriptive design. Participants were recruited from eight public universities with pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing programs across the United States.

PARTICIPANTS

A purposive and network sample of full-time, didactic nursing faculty members (n = 8) from pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing programs throughout the United States.

METHODS

A total of eight semi-structured interviews were conducted via Skype or Zoom between June and October 2020, with a mean duration of 58 min. All were transcribed verbatim. Data analysis continued through thematic analysis and constant comparison. The study is reported in accordance with COREQ guidelines and received IRB approval.

RESULTS

Three themes and eight sub-themes were found within the data: (a) formal strategies (communication, professional formation, empathy/caring), (b) informal strategies (interpersonal development, practice what you preach, teaching strategies), and (c) need for a systems approach (organizational framework, organizational breakdown).

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggested that participants used a combination of formal and informal strategies to cultivate emotional intelligence competence in their students and that a systems approach may be the best strategy to support curricular consistency throughout the program of study. Faculty participants unanimously agreed that emotional intelligence skills were essential components of the undergraduate nursing curriculum and were crucial to cultivating a healthy academic environment.

Cognitive-behaviour intervention for critical thinking disposition of religion and social science students

BACKGROUND

The dispositions of students towards critical thinking (CT) no doubt improve their clinical practice and performance. Hence, efforts to explore ways to help students become aware and conscious of the need for CT are imperative for their self-actualization, development, and improved professional practice. It is worrisome that in spite of the limited intervention addressing CT disposition challenges, scholars are yet to study the problem, especially in developing countries.

METHODS

In view of that, we assessed how CT disposition can be improved among students enrolled in cognitive-behavioral reflective training programme (CBRT-P) using a group-randomized control study with three months follow-up. To achieve this, 163 students were allocated to different groups. The recruited participants were exposed to CBRT-P.

RESULTS

Repeated-measures analysis performed shows that at the posttest, the mean CT disposition scores of the participants enrolled in CBRT-programme (treatment group) were significantly greater compared to the counterpart group that is the comparison group. At the third assessment, the mean score of the dependent measure consistently remained higher in favor of the experimental group.

CONCLUSION

Given the results, it is concluded that the treatment programme improves the CT disposition of students over time.

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.

Implementation of active learning methods by nurse educators in undergraduate nursing students' programs - a group interview

BACKGROUND

Modern and active learning methods form an important part in the education of Nursing students. They encourage the development of communication and critical thinking skills, and ensure the safe health care of patients. Our aim was to obtain naturalistic data from nurse educators regarding want the use and effects of implementing active learning methods (Peyton's Four-Step Approach, Mind Mapping, Debriefing and Objective Structured Clinical Examination methods) in the study process of students of Nursing after a completed education module, Clinical skills of mentors, as part of the Strengthening Nursing in Bosnia and Herzegovina Project. We wish to learn about the perception of nurse educators regarding the use of active learning methods in the study process of Nursing in the future.

METHODS

Qualitative research was conducted and a group interview technique was used for data collection. Beforehand, research participants were included in a two-day education module, Clinical skills of mentors, as part of the Strengthening Nursing in Bosnia and Herzegovina Project. Content analysis of the discussion transcriptions was conducted.

RESULTS

Fourteen nurse educators participated. Group interviews were conducted in September 2019. The obtained categories form four topics: (1) positive effect on the development of students' communication skills (2) positive effect of learning methods on the development of students' critical thinking skills (3) ensuring a safe learning environment (4) implementation of active learning methods.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of various active learning methods in simulation settings improves the Nursing students' critical thinking and communication skills. Therefore, we believe that Peyton's Four-Step Approach, Mind Mapping and Debriefing methods should be included as tools for effective student learning and as preparation for directly performing safe nursing interventions with a patient. Effective approaches to the assessment of Nursing students may ensure quality patient health care in accordance with the vision of the nursing profession.