Emotional intelligence education for perioperative nurses

Abstract

The social and professional applications of emotional intelligence (EI) in health care leadership are widely supported with evidence; however, there is limited contemporary literature on EI in the perioperative environment. How this skill can most effectively be taught to clinical perioperative nurses for improved patient and staff safety and wellbeing is imperative for future research.

EI is correlated to positive patient care outcomes via effective communication, improved teamwork and critical thinking. EI has been found to mediate professional issues such as stress, burnout and conflict, as well as promote resilience and optimism. Educators are asked to consider incorporating EI into learning programs, both formally and informally. The literature describes a range of teaching and learning strategies for facilitating the development of EI in nurses in both planned education sessions and through ad hoc reflection upon clinical practice. This discussion outlines how vignettes of patients in the Post Anaesthesia Care Unit (PACU) were used to challenge postgraduate perioperative nursing students to understand and apply EI concepts.