Emotional Intelligence : A Leader And A Nurse

A nurse in a position of a leader, like a charge nurse, who is not emotionally developed could hinder the function of the whole unit. A leader has to be able to manage their emotions, be motivating to their self and others, be empathetic, and handle relationships (). If a nurse comes to work with a bad attitude, this could potentially affect relationships with coworkers, and even contribute to lowering the whole morale of the staff on the unit.

There are many different definitions of what emotional intelligence is and exactly which components should be included to comprise it. The most basic model of emotional intelligence is the "four branch model" described by John Mayer and Peter Salovey in 1997. The key concepts included in the four branch model are: "emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional meanings, and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote both better emotion and thought (Mayer & Salovey, 1997).” The scientific definition of emotional intelligence, according to John Mayer, Peter Caruso and Peter Salovey is that "emotional intelligence refers to an ability to recognize the meanings of emotion and their relationships, and to reason and problem-solve on the basis of them. Emotional intelligence is involved in the capacity to perceive emotions, assimilate emotion-related feelings, understand the information of those emotions, and manage them (Mayer, Caruso, & Salovey, 2000)."

Having self awareness is a significant attribute to utilize when leading/managing others, interacting in social events and making personal decisions. Having the insight to distinguish your emotions, then using that knowledge to manage your behavior and relationships is being emotionally intelligent (Bradberry & Greaves, 2009). After using the Emotional Appraisal Instrument, I learned that self-awareness is my strongest emotional intelligence (EI) skill and my weakest EI skill is social awareness (TalentSmart, Inc., 2016).

“Emotional Intelligences and Reflective Practice are Integral Components of Building a Therapeutic Relationship in Nursing”

Two psychologists, John Mayer and Peter Salovey, first introduced the concept of “emotional intelligence”, or EI, in a journal article in 1990 (Goleman, 2005). It was then popularized in 1995, with the book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman. Goleman posited that EI is as important, if not more important, than IQ in terms of success in academics, business, and interpersonal relationships (2005).

What is emotional intelligence? EI is the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically; thus, compared to Daniel Goleman's definition to emotional intelligence are very similar just in more detail.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize feelings and judge which feelings are appropriate for a given situation.

Nurses are said to do the unthinkable and touch the untouchable (Canfield, Hansen, Mitchell-Autio, & Thieman, 2001). Why nurses can seem to do this remains a mystery yet investigated in peer reviewed literature. Professional nurses hold values to a high standard while performing their tasks. This is done by individuals who are astute in the language that may not always be expressed with words, the language of emotion. It is the nurse holding the hand of the troubled and simply listening to their need that places them in field that is spiritually unique (O 'Brien, 2014). The nurse offers the capacity to identify another’s emotions and encouraging the person, all the while continuing to manage the feeling and interactions with another (Beauvais, 2012). This ability is known as emotional intelligence and offers the nurse a capacity to assume successful leadership positions. Emotionally intelligent skill building for leadership is now a required competency and encompasses spiritually rich aspects of both nursing and leadership. This paper will discuss useful aspects of emotional intelligence in spiritually rich nursing leadership.

Emotional intelligence, or EI, has begun to make head way in the nursing world in its tie to leadership. Nurses are people, so they experience emotion just like every other person. Their work is stressful and trying, it provokes emotion due to the environment and situations at hand. The ability to recognize one’s own emotions, along with those that present in others is an important skill (Morrison, 2008). Being able to recognize emotions makes it easier to manage our lives and our relationship with others. These are the aspects that make a person competent enough to say that they have emotional intelligence. Supporters of emotional intelligence believe that EI may be more valuable in determining a good leader than intellectual

Emotional intelligence was described formally by (Salovey & Mayer). They defined it as ‘the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions’. They also provided an initial empirical demonstration of how an aspect of emotional

al, 2002; Petrides et al, 2003) it may now be possible to establish whether EI

Effective leaders possess qualities that inspire others to follow them. Strong leaders encourage growth and professionalism within the team. In this constantly changing nursing profession, “there is not a single correct leadership style, but there are important characteristics that all leaders must demonstrate to get the desired results with the team” (Elwell & Elikofer, 2015, p. 312). A specific person always comes to mind when I think of an effective leader. She is the Director of the multiple department where I currently work. She demonstrates an ‘adaptive and mindful’ leadership. She leads the team by encouraging them to find that special qualities within themselves and grow from there (Buchanan, 2012). She supports and encourage

“Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage our emotions and those around us, therefore, this quality gives individuals a variety of skills, such as the ability to manage relationships, navigate social networks, influence and inspire others. Every individual possesses different level, but in order for individuals to become effective leaders, they will need a high level of emotional intelligence. In today’s workplace, it has become a highly important

“If you actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader” (John Quincy Adams, as cited in Forbes, 2014, p. 1). A leader is mentor, guiding others to their best. In this paper, I will reflect on my personal values and beliefs regarding leadership. Next, I will discuss a leader in my life that personally resonates with me. I will then discuss the attributes of my chosen leader and relate them to theory on leadership, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, group dynamics and peace and power concepts and identify the leadership style that my chosen leader embodies. Finally, I will discuss how my leadership philosophy and the newly acquired theory will impact my future career as a nurse.

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to to be aware of your emotions, manipulate them from negative to positive and analyze them in yourself and other people, so you know when you are stressed, being negative and how to recognize this in other people.