Thirty years of emotional intelligence: A scoping review of emotional intelligence training programme among nurses

Effectiveness of emotional intelligence training on nurses' and nursing students' emotional intelligence, resilience, stress, and communication skills: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

This study evaluates the effectiveness of emotional intelligence training on emotional intelligence, resilience, stress, and communication skills among nurses and nursing students.

DESIGN

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of emotional intelligence training in nurses and nursing students.

DATA SOURCES

Randomised controlled trials were searched in MEDLINE (via PubMed), CINAHL (via EBSCOhost), Web of Science (via Ovid), ERIC (via ProQuest), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Igaku Chuo Zasshi databases from inception to 9-11 October 2024.

REVIEW METHODS

Two authors independently screened each study and assessed eligibility. Authors calculated the pooled effect estimates associated with nurses' and nursing students' emotional intelligence, resilience, stress, and communication skills using a random-effects meta-analytic model.

RESULTS

The search yielded 1731 studies from electronic databases. After removing duplicates, 1294 records remained. Following title and abstract screening, 34 studies qualified for full-text review, of which 11 studies were excluded based on inclusion criteria, leaving 23 studies for analysis. Emotional intelligence training significantly improved emotional intelligence compared to the control group (16 trials, N = 1155; SMD = 1.76 [95 % CI: 1.06 to 2.45]). It also had a significant effect in reducing stress (4 trials, N = 312; SMD = -1.51 [95 % CI: -2.96 to -0.07]) and demonstrated a significant positive effect on communication skills (4 trials, N = 329; SMD = 2.72 [95 % CI: 0.64 to 4.79]). However, it had no significant effect on resilience (2 trials, N = 138; SMD = 2.71 [95 % CI: -1.55 to 6.97]).

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that emotional intelligence training had a statistically significant positive impact on enhancing emotional intelligence in nursing students and nurses in both the short and long term. It also significantly reduced stress and improved communication skills but had no significant effect on resilience.

Nurses' lived experiences of self-control in emergency settings: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Given nurses' vital role in emergencies, it is essential to understand their perceptions and strategies for self-control. This study examines nurses' experiences and insights regarding self-control during high-pressure scenarios. The findings could inform the development of effective stress management strategies and enhance nursing training programs, ultimately improving patients' overall quality of care.

METHODS

This study utilized a qualitative, descriptive design with a content analysis approach. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 24 nurses in various wards of five university-affiliated hospitals, including [specific wards, e.g., emergency, intensive care, internal, etc.]. The nurses were selected using a purposive sampling technique, and the data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis.

FINDINGS

Nurses' lived experiences and understanding of self-control in emergencies revealed three main categories, each comprising several sub-categories: Managing Emotional Intelligence in Crisis Situations (Emotion Regulation in Critical Situations, Using Resources and Experiences for Emotion Management, and Control of Individual Emotions), Adherence to Principles in Crisis Situations (Compliance with Ethical Standards, Ethical Decision-Making, Patient-Centered Focus, and Effective Communication), and Self-Control in Managing Stress and Fatigue (Fatigue Management and Interpersonal Interaction and Collaboration).

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the importance of self-control for nurses working in high-stress environments. It emphasizes that enhancing emotional intelligence, adhering to professional standards, and effectively managing stress are crucial for overcoming workplace challenges. These factors not only foster resilience but also support self-control, which is essential for maintaining composure and making informed decisions during emergencies. The findings advocate for creating supportive work environments and implementing evidence-based policies to improve nurses' self-control skills, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes. These insights can guide enhancements in nursing education and overall care quality.

Is intrapersonal emotional competence a personal resource for the quality of life of informal caregivers of cancer patients unlike interpersonal emotional competence?

INTRODUCTION

This study assessed the influence of intrapersonal (one's own emotions) and interpersonal (emotions of others) emotional competence (EC) of informal caregivers on their quality of life (QoL) at the beginning of cancer care.

METHODS

Participants completed two questionnaires assessing their intrapersonal and interpersonal EC (S-PEC) as well as their QoL (SF-36) at the beginning of treatments. Multivariate ANCOVA regression analyses were then performed to explore the influence of EC on QoL.

RESULTS

The questionnaires were completed by 203 caregivers. As expected, intrapersonal EC was associated with a better QoL in all sub-dimensions (p < 0.01). More surprisingly, interpersonal EC was associated with worse QoL in terms of physical role (- 8.97 [95% CI - 16.74; - 1.19]), emotional role (- 8.37 [95% CI - 16.27; - 0.48]), and general health (- 4.50 [95% CI - 8.08; - 0.92]).

CONCLUSION

Intrapersonal EC should be improved for better QoL of caregivers of cancer patients. However, the more caregivers are attentive to the emotions of others (e.g., by identifying, understanding, listening and helping to manage emotions), the more their physical and psychological state has an impact on their daily life and their perceived health is impaired.

The Effect of Nurse-led Preoperative Visits on Anxiety: An Integrative Review

PURPOSE

This review aims to investigate the effectiveness of nurse-led preoperative visits for the reduction of presurgical anxiety. The review will explore the patterns and mechanisms through which these visits alleviate anxiety, identify the existing practice gaps, and suggest future directions for improvement. The findings will help health care providers choose appropriate visits for their patients.

DESIGN

An integrative review.

METHODS

From January 2000 to July 2023, studies on nurse-led preoperative visits were searched in Cochrane Library, Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. The search only includes English-language full-text entries. Thirteen articles were selected from the 5,741 studies discovered after the quality was rated using the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal tool. The parameters addressed by the 13 articles chosen for evaluation included, but were not limited to, the type of research done, sample characteristics, and the types of interventions used by the researchers.

FINDINGS

Interviews between nurses and patients are the primary and most prevalent means of exchanging information during nurse-led preoperative visits. These interviews can be classified as structured, with a predetermined set of questions, and unstructured, allowing for flexibility and adaptation based on the patient's responses and needs. Audiovisual materials and written materials were provided to assist with the interview. Nurse-led preoperative visits significantly reduce feelings of anxiety by providing patient education on preoperative procedures and routines, improving trust between patients and caregivers, offering emotional support, and promoting informed decision-making through preoperative education.

CONCLUSIONS

In clinical practice, the nurse-led preoperative visit is important for lowering preoperative anxiety. The advantages of these visits may be extended to more patients by incorporating innovative methods such as improving the pattern of preoperative visits, prioritizing the nurse's role in preoperative patient visits, and using emerging technology.

The Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence in the Organisational Commitment and Turnover Intention of Clinical Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

AIM

To explore the influence of emotional intelligence and organisational commitment (OC) on clinical nurses' turnover intention (TI) and to provide intervention strategies to reduce the turnover rate of nursing staff and maintain the stability of the nursing team.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with nurses (n = 452) in a tertiary hospital in Kaifeng City, Henan Province, China.

METHODS

The project was conducted in July 2023. The data were collected using the organisational commitment scale, Wong and Law emotional intelligence scale and turnover intention scale.

RESULTS

The emotional intelligence score of clinical nurses was (3.07 ± 0.68), organisational commitment scale was (3.04 ± 0.68), and turnover intention scale was (2.70 ± 0.58). Organisational commitment scale and emotional intelligence scores are negatively correlated with turnover intention; the mediating effect of emotional intelligence in organisational commitment and turnover intention scale of clinical nurses is -0.406, and the mediating effect accounts for 49.9%.

PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Nurses' organisational commitment can directly predict turnover intention, and emotional intelligence plays a role in mediating the relationship between nurses' organisational commitment and turnover intention. This research makes a substantial contribution to the public and healthcare sector. The findings provide valuable insights for healthcare administrators, policy-makers and educators, offering evidence-based strategies to improve nurse retention and enhance the quality of patient care. It is important to note that the research upholds the highest standards of integrity, with a meticulous review process and a dedicated effort to maintain data quality.

Emotional Intelligence as Critical Competence in Nurses' Work Performance: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Emotional intelligence may help nurses to cope with demanding work environments where the need to improve the quality and safety of the care provided, as well as the care of the chronically ill, prevails. Although it is well known that emotional intelligence is positively related to work performance, the literature on nurses is limited. The aim of our study was to examine the impact of emotional intelligence on work performance in a sample of nurses in Greece.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study with 318 nurses. We collected data from a convenience sample of nurses during January 2024. Since we conducted an online survey through social media, our sample could not be representative of all nurses in Greece. For instance, older nurses may be underrepresented in our study due to limited access on social media. We measured emotional intelligence with the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF) and work performance with the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ). We created multivariable linear regression models adjusted for sex, age, educational level, and work experience. We followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines.

RESULTS

We found that the four streams of emotional intelligence (i.e., well-being, self-control, emotionality, sociability) increased nurses' work performance. In particular, we found a positive relationship between well-being and task performance (adjusted beta = 0.210, 95% CI = 0.140 to 0.281, p-value < 0.001) and contextual performance (adjusted beta = 0.135, 95% CI = 0.050 to 0.221, p-value = 0.002). Similarly, there was a positive relationship between self-control and task performance (adjusted beta = 0.136, 95% CI = 0.030 to 0.241, p-value = 0.012). Additionally, sociability increased task performance (adjusted beta = 0.223, 95% CI = 0.151 to 0.295, p-value < 0.001) and contextual performance (adjusted beta = 0.198, 95% CI = 0.111 to 0.286, p-value < 0.001). Moreover, emotionality (adjusted beta = -0.198, 95% CI = -0.319 to -0.076, p-value = 0.002) and sociability (adjusted beta = -0.133, 95% CI = -0.221 to -0.044, p-value = 0.003) reduced counterproductive work behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

Our multivariable models identified a positive impact of emotional intelligence on nurses' work performance. Nurse managers and healthcare organizations should adopt appropriate interventions to improve nurses' emotional intelligence. Enhancing emotional intelligence among nurses can improve work performance and, thus, healthcare outcomes. Moreover, higher levels of emotional intelligence may empower nurses' compassion and resilience, fostering a supportive work environment. In this context, the well-being of both nurses and patients may improve.

Does Social and Organizational Support Moderate Emotional Intelligence Training Effectiveness?

Given the dearth of systematic research and inconclusive results regarding the effectiveness of emotional intelligence (EI) training in adult training, this study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of EI training. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of EI training on learning and transfer outcomes, considering underexplored moderation of social and organizational support with experimental and longitudinal research design. Training transfer was measured through changes in organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and counterproductive work behavior (CWB). Participants self-assessed their OCB and CWB levels, while their supervisors also provided evaluations, allowing for separate analysis. Data, from a sample comprising 176 government officials, were collected across different periods and analyzed employing diverse analytical tools. The results revealed positive effects of EI training on training outcomes in both samples but positive moderation effect of social and organizational support on the effect of EI training on training outcomes was observed in the self-evaluation sample but not in the supervisor evaluation sample. The findings advance the debate on social exchange theory and organizational support theory by showing the boundary condition of their applicability. Furthermore, this study clarifies the impact of EI training on training outcomes by emphasizing the nuanced role of social and organizational support.

Prevalence and associated factors of secondary traumatic stress in emergency nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Nurses in emergency departments are at a high risk of experiencing secondary traumatic stress because of their frequent exposure to trauma patients and high-stress environments.Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the overall prevalence of secondary traumatic stress among emergency nurses and to identify the contributing factors.Method: We conducted a systematic search for cross-sectional studies in databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, Wanfang Database, and China National Knowledge Internet up to October 21, 2023. The Joanna Briggs Institute's appraisal checklists for prevalence and analytical cross-sectional studies were used for quality assessment. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using Cochrane's Q test and the I2 statistic. A random effects model was applied to estimate the pooled prevalence of secondary traumatic stress, and subgroup analyses were performed to explore sources of heterogeneity. Descriptive analysis summarized the associated factors.Results: Out of 345 articles retrieved, 14 met the inclusion criteria, with 11 reporting secondary traumatic stress prevalence. The pooled prevalence of secondary traumatic stress among emergency nurses was 65% (95% CI: 58%-73%). Subgroup analyses indicated the highest prevalence in Asia (74%, 95% CI: 72%-77%), followed by North America (59%, 95% CI: 49%-72%) and Europe (53%, 95% CI: 29%-95%). Nine studies identified associated factors, including personal, work-related, and social factors. In the subgroup of divided by recruitment period, emergency department nurses in the COVID-19 outbreak period had a higher prevalence of secondary traumatic stress (70%, 95% CI: 62%-78%).Conclusions: Secondary traumatic stress prevalence is notably high among emergency department nurses, with significant regional variations and period differences. The factors affecting secondary traumatic stress also varied across studies. Future research should focus on improving research designs and sample sizes to pinpoint risk factors and develop prevention strategies.Registration: PROSPERO CRD42022301167.