The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Health Care

INTRODUCTION
This portfolio, contains a review of sources of information about the topic ‘The importance of
emotional intelligence in health care.’ And uses the CARS checklist to. evaluate it for its currency,
credibility, scope and intended audience. Furthermore, it discusses and evaluates in depth ‘The
importance of emotional intelligence in health care’ and introduces the five dimensions/components
of emotional intelligence. Lastly, it contains a Personal Development Plan which reflects my personal
qualities and transferable skills necessary for employability.
TASK 1
Source 1: Emotional intelligence and patient-centred care.
In summary emotional intelligence has a great impact on patients’ satisfaction, quality of care and
patient-centred care. Emotional intelligence is considered an important skill that every health care
professional must possess, manage, and read emotions, in order to improve the quality of patient-
centred care and the relationship between patients and the professionals. By achieving all the
above, a better communication will be formed and there will be an increase in patient levels of
satisfaction (Birks, Watt 2007).
This is a credible journal that contains the authors detailed information’s. It also contains, the date
that the article was published. The article is based on research, and it is very detailed, relevant, and
comprehensive. It is a neutral and objective article, with no conflict of interests. It is well cited and
referenced, all claims are supported and there is a contact information provided for all sources.

Source 2: The assessment of emotional intelligence in social care and healthcare student
selection: a qualitative descriptive study.
In summary, health and social care students must be able to demonstrate basic abilities and
understanding of emotional intelligence in order to manage the demands and pressure of social and
health care studies to reduce the risk of emotional exhaustion during clinical placements (Pienimaa,
Talman, Haavisto 2021).
This research is a credible article. The author’s name, title, position, and education are provided, as
well as the contact information and the date of the article. It is an accurate article based on facts and
details. It has an objective tone, and it is fair and balanced. All sources are listed and cited properly,
and all necessary documentation is supplied.
Source 3: Nurse Managers’ Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership: A Review of the
Current Evidence.
To summarize, emotional intelligence is vital for accomplishing effective leadership in healthcare
organizations and influences the success of an organization. Emotional intelligence is a beneficial skill
for nurse managers for effective leadership and management. Emotional intelligence is one of the
fundamental characteristics of a manager. Every nurse must be able to demonstrate and improve
their emotional skills in order to provide quality of care and patient-centred care (Prezerakos, 2018).
This is credible research with detailed and comprehensive information. Author’s information,
education and position is also included, as well as the date that the article was published. It is
relevant and specific. There is no conflict of interests, as it is fair, and balance based on facts and not
arguments. It is neutral and has an objective tone. All sources are listed and cited correctly.
Source 4: The impact of emotional intelligence in health care professionals on caring behaviour
towards patients in clinical and long-term care settings: Findings from an integrative review.
In summary, the development of emotional intelligence in nurses can positively influence specific
caring behaviours. Job satisfaction, experience and age are important factors for emotional
intelligence and caring behaviours (Nightingale, Spiby, Sheen, Slade, 2018).
This article is credible, as it contains the author’s information, title, and position. It is accurate as it
contains detailed information based on facts and research. It is relevant and specific to it is topic. It is
an article written with an objective and neutral tone with no conflict of interests. The article is fair
and balanced and cited correctly with all sources listed.

TASK 2
Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, identify, and regulate the emotions of others and
of themselves. By acquiring the skill of emotional intelligence, it reduces team and self-stress, it
builds relationships, it improves job satisfaction, it defuses conflict, and increases staff retention and
productivity (Quinn, Hoffe, 2018). The importance of emotional intelligence in health and social care
has been considered to play a vital role within the health and social care setting, where it is
embedded to understand the emotions of others, which results to healthcare professionals
becoming effective managers in practice. In addition, the practice of emotional intelligence in the
health and social care setting has enabled the improvement of meaningful and effective
relationships between professionals and patients. Emotional intelligence permits the healthcare
professionals to build a therapeutic relationship, manage stress and empathise for their patients and
their families. Emotional intelligence involves and can be developed through, self-awareness,
empathy, and awareness of others (Hurley, Linsley, 2018).
Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role when delivering patient-centred care. The lack of
emotional intelligence can be associate with poor communication and nonclinical competence
between professionals and their patients. Patient’s emotions are often being dismissed and
discriminated, which impacts the accuracy and quality of diagnosis and history taking. Furthermore,
the lack of emotional intelligence, restricts healthcare professionals from being capable of
understanding their patients’ emotional reactions. The capacity to understand and manage
emotions is a vital skill for every health care professional, which can assist in improving the quality of
the relationship between professionals and patients, enhancing patient-centred care, increasing
patients’ level of satisfaction, job satisfaction and performance. Being able to manage and recognize
emotions, may aid professionals to encounter fewer incidents of job-related stress. Healthcare
professionals that are over-stressed, disillusioned and can not manage their emotions can not
communicate effectively with their patients, neither can they deliver good quality care (Birks, Watt
2007).
Emotional intelligence is a practical tool for all healthcare professionals and promotes an effective
management in health and social care. The anthropocentric nature of health and social care
demands emotional intelligence as an important skill that influences effective patient-centred care.
Particularly, emotional intelligence becomes an essential skill for health and social care
professionals, who must be trained to encounter the increasing demands of the innovative health
and social care system. Emotional intelligent management causes patient satisfaction of care
provided, team empowerment, wellbeing at work, proactivity, job satisfaction, and efficiency
(Prezerakos, 2018).
Emotional intelligence is linked with the implementation of transformational leadership in the health
care sector. According to Bass and Avolio, transformational leadership refers to the idealized
influence that the leader exercises on his/her subordinates, the feeling of pride which he/she
inculcates as well as the feeling of safety and confidence that they can cope with the organization’s
goals and vision. The high ability to understand, regulate and manage emotions that
transformational leaders have, contributes decisively to the cultivation of corresponding skills in
their followers (Bass, Avolio, 1994).
There are five components of emotional intelligence. These are: self-awareness, self-regulation, self-
motivation, empathy, and nurturing relationships.