Enhancing emotional intelligence and mental well-being for stress management in nursing education - a qualitative
Annie Haver1,2, Peter Caputi3,4, Kristin Akerjordet3,4
1NHS-Department of Leadership and Service Innovation, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway. annie.haver@uis.no.
Background:
Nursing students experience high levels of stress due to the combined demands of academic coursework and clinical training. Emotional intelligence (EI) has been shown to support stress management and enhance mental well-being in this context. Despite their potential benefits, there is limited qualitative research on EI-focused interventions in nursing education. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of a 10-session self-development program on enhancing emotional intelligence and stress management among second-year nursing students in Norway.
Design:
An exploratory qualitative design.
Methods:
Data were collected from 21 Norwegian university nursing students aged 21-35 using semi-structured interviews. The transcribed interviews were thematically analyzed.
Results:
Three main themes were produced: (1) Fostering a sense of connectedness amongst peers, including categories such as recognition, emotional safety, trust, common values, and meaningfulness, (2) Strengthened self-awareness, including categories such as awareness of one's own and others' emotions, honesty, genuineness, upholding a professional image and protecting oneself through emotion regulation, (3) Development of emotional resilience, including categories such as adaptability, support from peers, and changing mindset.
Conclusions:
This study provides support for the value of self-development programs in a nursing education context. The self-development program created an environment where nursing students felt safe and secure, valued trust, and could communicate openly with each other, which in turn may foster better psychological well-being. Moreover, the findings highlight the value of EI training for nursing students in allowing them to develop awareness of their emotions and those of others, as well as regulate their own emotions to cope better with challenges at university and foster skills that will enable them to deal professionally with future workplace challenges. This supports the value of a stronger emphasis on structured EI and self-development training in nursing curricula, with the potential to inform educational strategies and policy aimed at promoting psychological readiness and long-term professional sustainability.
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