A literature review of emotional intelligence and nursing education

Aim The purpose of this study is to investigate the current state of knowledge about emotional intelligence (EI) in nursing education Background Human relationships and emotions are an integral part of nursing care and contribute to care quality. This part of the profession must be addressed in nursing education to prepare students and deal with their emotions and the patients’s. Research on emotional intelligence (EI) in nursing has been particularly developed recently. A broad understanding of many benefits of EI is crucial to include EI in this training program. Design Systematic literature review Methods Undertaken using electronic database (Cairn; PubMed; Science Direct; Wiley online library) and specific search terms. This research covered articles published in English and French between 2007 and 2021. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines (PRISMA) directed the systematic review process. Results 57 articles are included in this systematic review. The literature focuses on EI and nursing education. The findings categorized into four themes: EI and performances; EI and Physical and mental health; EI and Social Relationship; and EI program. Conclusions This literature review reveals that EI has many benefits in nursing students. Several training programs aimed at developing this concept have proven to be effective in nursing education. We believe that a synthesis of this knowledge will then allow us to better understand the benefits of EI for a further implementation in nursing education. Perspectives and recommendations will also be formulated to enable the implementation of emotional skill development programs in such training.