Emotional Competencies: A Strength for Critical Care Professionals? A Scoping Review

Intensive care unit (ICU) staff work in high-pressure environments that demand not only technical expertise but also strong socio-cognitive abilities. Emotional competencies (EC), the ability to understand, regulate and use emotions, have increasingly been recognised as key protective resources in such settings.

This scoping review explores EC as a strength among critical care professionals.

Conducted according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines and the Joanna Briggs Institute framework, the review included studies from Medline, Scopus, PsycINFO and CINAHL (2004-2024). Eligible studies used validated tools to assess EC, reported outcomes related to professional well-being or care quality and applied qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods.

Sixteen out of 1011 screened studies met the inclusion criteria, with a predominant focus on ICU nurses. Emotional competencies were found to support workplace well-being, reduce anxiety and burnout, facilitate the management of moral distress and contribute to better interpersonal interactions. They also may enhance clinical performance.

Emotional competencies are critical non-technical skills for ICU nurses, supporting both well-being and performance in emotionally complex environments. Given that most included studies involved ICU nurses, the findings are particularly relevant to nursing practice. They support the integration of EC into nursing education and practice in critical care. Future research should use longitudinal studies to reinforce the view of emotional competencies as valuable in nursing.

Emotional competencies enhance ICU nurses' well-being and teamwork while supporting high-quality patient care. Their integration into nursing training can directly strengthen clinical practice.