From making crucial decisions around a patient’s care plan to finding ways to keep shifts properly staffed, a nurse leader’s workday is often full of challenges. Emotional intelligence — the ability to recognize, understand and manage emotions in oneself and others — has emerged as a defining trait of successful nurse leaders, whether they are caring for patients or managing teams.
Southern Utah University’s online Registered Nurse (RN) to Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Leadership and Administration program equips nurses with highly valued skills, preparing them to lead with empathy, clarity and strategic insight. Students explore the principles of organizational behavior, including how leadership, motivation, conflict, power, organizational culture and change management shape workplace environments.
Understanding Emotional Intelligence in Healthcare
Emotional intelligence (EI) is a multifaceted concept that centers on a person’s ability to navigate complex emotional and interpersonal situations, according to The Nursing Standard. In the high-pressure world of healthcare, where life-and-death decisions are made daily, the value of this skill cannot be overstated.
As defined by renowned psychologist Daniel Goleman, the five central pillars of emotional intelligence are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. Together, these components can help healthcare professionals regulate their emotions, understand the needs of others and respond with intentionality.
Nurses with high EI are more attuned to their own stress responses and better able to manage their emotions in high-stakes situations, according to American Nurse Journal. They can also sense when colleagues or patients are struggling emotionally and respond with compassion and clarity.
To improve their aptitude, rising leaders can seek formal and informal feedback from their peers, staff and direct reports; obtain mentors who can ensure accountability during celebratory and challenging times; and begin journaling to improve self-reflection. Through courses like Managing People & Organizations, students learn how to incorporate emotional intelligences principles into their day-to-day work in meaningful and ethical ways.
Improving Nurse Retention and Mentorship
The impact of emotional intelligence extends far beyond individual performance. It plays a vital role in shaping work culture, improving staff retention and strengthening mentorship across nursing teams. Leaders who are emotionally aware are better positioned to recognize early signs of burnout among staff, intervene constructively and foster a culture of open communication, according to the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Journal. With more nurses willing to speak up when they identify an issue, nurse leaders can reduce misunderstandings that can result in medical errors and poor patient outcomes.
Preventing nurse burnout requires a deeper application of emotional intelligence. According to the American Nurse Journal, self-awareness allows nurses to recognize their own stress levels and understand how emotions impact their decision-making. Self-management equips them with the discipline to maintain emotional balance, even in chaotic clinical settings.
How Can Nurses Develop Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional intelligence must be continually cultivated. The process often begins in academic settings where students are mentored and encouraged to reflect on their experiences. Through the course Influencing Quality Within Healthcare and Leadership and Management for the RN to BSN, SUU students learn how to create inclusive environments that lead to improved patient outcomes and a positive work culture for healthcare teams.
The program enables students to put theories into practice, especially in the Leadership and Management course. Nurse leaders spend 15 hours on a personal development project and 30 hours on a quality improvement project to improve processes in the workplace, preparing them to make an impact immediately upon graduation.
Turn Communication Skills Into Better Health Outcomes With Southern Utah University
Social awareness enhances a nurse leader’s ability to empathize with team members and patients, while relationship management enables them to build trust, resolve conflicts and foster cooperation. These integrated skills help nurse leaders protect both their own wellbeing and that of their teams.
In Southern Utah University’s RN to MSN in Nursing in Leadership and Administration program, students learn how emotionally intelligent communication enhances trust and ultimately improves patient outcomes. Graduates are prepared to be more than simply managers. They become transformational leaders who can adapt to the demands of modern healthcare, elevate team performance and influence organizational change.
Learn more about SUU‘s online RN to MSN in Nursing in Leadership and Administration program.
