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Journal of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research

Mentor

Christman, Ronda

Abstract

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize one’s own emotions and that of others when responding to a situation. It has a long-standing reputation for predicting positive outcomes in many fields and occupations. Emotional intelligence has also had a long-standing reputation for taking the backseat in education. Nursing is no exception. With many nurses having little to no knowledge of anticipating patient needs or what it means to be empathetic, it can impact the patient’s perception of patient care. Often, the skill of being emotionally intelligent is either learned on the job through experience, innately in the character of the nurse, or never learned at all. Because there have been correlations with EI and quality indicators such as pressure ulcers, fall rates, and infection prevalence, it is important that emotional intelligence be a part of nursing education (Adams & Iseler, 2014). This literature reviews the correlation between high-quality patient care and nurses with higher EI in an effort to explore the benefits to patient care. By examining the clinical repercussions and outcomes in patients cared for by nurses with higher emotional intelligence, the healthcare and nursing fields will understand the importance of truly being there for patients, and that bedside manner could be a large step in the direction of high-quality patient care.

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