Abstract
The critical thinking (CT) ability of nurses directly impacts patient safety.1 CT is enhanced by emotional intelligence (EI).1 EI is the ability to manage, understand, and feel one’s emotions and the emotions of others.2 Integral to developing EI is mindfulness (MF).3 Since new nurses are at high risk for patient care errors,4 it is important to embed strategies that enhance high-level CT skills, such as EI and MF in prelicensure nursing programs.5 Yet, nursing curricula often does not include such strategies.6 Strategies that develop EI and MF include reflective journaling and mindfulness training.7-9 The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of reflective practice and mindful breath/movement exercises on EI and MF among BSN senior nursing students.
A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used. Participants (n=24) completed the 33-item EI and 15-item Mindful Attention Awareness (MAA) pre- and post-tests at the beginning and end of the semester. Throughout the semester, students engaged in 5-minute mindful breath/movement exercises before class taught by a registered yoga teacher and responded to reflective prompts at the end of each clinical day. A paired-samples t-test examined the impact of the interventions on participants’ scores. In Vivo and focused coding was used to analyze reflective journals.
Analysis revealed statistically significant increases in EI (7.5) and MAA (10.38) mean scores from Time 1 and Time 2. Qualitative analysis revealed three themes: Awareness of Others; Awareness of Self-Growth; Awareness of Self.
Enhancing EI among nursing students may support their ability to separate their emotions from the patient’s and guide clinical decision-making.6 This may be especially crucial for new nurses, often stressed by transitioning into the clinical setting leading to burnout, decreased job satisfaction and intent to leave their position.10 Our results revealed that reflective practice and mindful breath/movement exercises had positive effects on EI and MF. Students felt more focused, calm and able to reset their emotions following mindful breath/movement exercises. Reflection prompted students to view situations through the lens of the patient, enhancing student awareness of others resulting in increased empathy, less judgment and an understanding of how self-growth was needed to safely support their patient. Embedding activities into nursing curricula that enhance EI can promote CT skills that support safe patient care.
Notes
References:
1.Christianson KL. Emotional intelligence and critical thinking in nursing students: Integrative review of literature. Nurse Educator. 2020;45(6):E62-E65. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000801
2. Mayer JD, Salovey P, Caruso DR. Emotional intelligence: Theory, findings, and implications. Psychological Inquiry. 2004;15(3):197-215. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli1503_02
3. Kaoun TM. Enhancing leaders’ emotional intelligence: Why mindfulness? Journal of Leadership Education. 2018;18(1):200-212. https://doi.org/10.12806/V18/I1/T2
4. Wang X, Liu M, Xu T, Wang K, Huang L, Zhang X. New nurses' practice environment, job stress, and patient safety attitudes: A cross-sectional study based on the job demands-resources model. BMC Nursing. 2024;23:473-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02135-0
5. Ireland VA. Emotional intelligence competencies in the undergraduate nursing curriculum: A descriptive qualitative study. Nurse Education Today. 2022;119:105594-105594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105594
6. Lu YL, Shorey S. Nurses' perceptions of emotional intelligence in the clinical setting: A qualitative systematic review. Journal of Nursing Management. 2021;29:2453-2460. https://doi.org/ 10.1111/jonm.13406
7. Hwang B, Choi H, Kim S, Kim S, Ko H, Kim J. Facilitating student learning with critical reflective journaling in psychiatric mental health nursing clinical education: A quantitative study. Nurse Education Today. 2018;69:159-164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2018.07.015
8. Erkin O, Aykar F. The effect of the yoga course on mindfulness and self-compassion among nursing students. Perspect Psychiatr Care. 2021;57:875-882. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppc.12630
9. Kou H, Bi T, Chen S, Li X, He Y, Xie Q, He J. The impact of mindfulness training on supportive communication, emotional intelligence, and human caring among nursing students. Perspect Psychiatr Care. 2022;58(4):2552-2561. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppc.13093
10. Sariköse S, Çelik SS. Structural and psychological empowerment among newly graduated nurses and related factors: A mixed methods study. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2024;80:2917-2928. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16022
Sigma Membership
Beta Nu, Pi at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Teaching and Learning Strategies, Competence, Stress and Coping, Nursing Education, Advances in Education, Curriculum Development, Critical Thinking, Emotional Intelligence
Recommended Citation
Pestaner, Mitzi C.; Lally, Susan W.; Avery, Jeanette; Jenkins, Candice; and Melendez, Carlos R., "Integrating Strategies to Build Emotional Intelligence in Prelicensure Nursing Education Curriculum" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 69.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/presentations_2025/69
Conference Name
48th Biennial Convention
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2025-11-20
Integrating Strategies to Build Emotional Intelligence in Prelicensure Nursing Education Curriculum
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
The critical thinking (CT) ability of nurses directly impacts patient safety.1 CT is enhanced by emotional intelligence (EI).1 EI is the ability to manage, understand, and feel one’s emotions and the emotions of others.2 Integral to developing EI is mindfulness (MF).3 Since new nurses are at high risk for patient care errors,4 it is important to embed strategies that enhance high-level CT skills, such as EI and MF in prelicensure nursing programs.5 Yet, nursing curricula often does not include such strategies.6 Strategies that develop EI and MF include reflective journaling and mindfulness training.7-9 The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of reflective practice and mindful breath/movement exercises on EI and MF among BSN senior nursing students.
A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used. Participants (n=24) completed the 33-item EI and 15-item Mindful Attention Awareness (MAA) pre- and post-tests at the beginning and end of the semester. Throughout the semester, students engaged in 5-minute mindful breath/movement exercises before class taught by a registered yoga teacher and responded to reflective prompts at the end of each clinical day. A paired-samples t-test examined the impact of the interventions on participants’ scores. In Vivo and focused coding was used to analyze reflective journals.
Analysis revealed statistically significant increases in EI (7.5) and MAA (10.38) mean scores from Time 1 and Time 2. Qualitative analysis revealed three themes: Awareness of Others; Awareness of Self-Growth; Awareness of Self.
Enhancing EI among nursing students may support their ability to separate their emotions from the patient’s and guide clinical decision-making.6 This may be especially crucial for new nurses, often stressed by transitioning into the clinical setting leading to burnout, decreased job satisfaction and intent to leave their position.10 Our results revealed that reflective practice and mindful breath/movement exercises had positive effects on EI and MF. Students felt more focused, calm and able to reset their emotions following mindful breath/movement exercises. Reflection prompted students to view situations through the lens of the patient, enhancing student awareness of others resulting in increased empathy, less judgment and an understanding of how self-growth was needed to safely support their patient. Embedding activities into nursing curricula that enhance EI can promote CT skills that support safe patient care.
Description
The critical thinking (CT) ability of nurses can directly impact patient safety. An aspect of CT is emotional intelligence (EI) and mindfulness (MF), or the ability to manage and understand one’s emotions and the emotions of others, in a way that enhances thinking and the way one responds to others. Research is limited on EI-building strategies in nursing curriculum. This study examined the effect of reflective practice and mindful breathing exercises on EI and MF among senior nursing students.