Emotional intelligence: its role in training

The ability to manage your own emotions while interpreting other people's is a useful skill in any caring environment, yet emotional intelligence is often overlooked in training programmes. Incorporating it into the curriculum will give nurses greater understanding of themselves and the way they relate to others, enabling more effective interactions with patients. It will also equip them emotionally to deal with highly charged situations. The authors describe a model for nurse education that teaches and promotes emotional intelligence.