Integrating Strategies to Build Emotional Intelligence in Prelicensure Nursing Education Curriculum

Critical thinking may be enhanced by emotional intelligence (EI) and mindfulness (MF). This study explored the influence of reflective practice and mindful breath and movement exercises on EI and MF among baccalaureate nursing students.

Using a mixed-methods design, participants (n = 24) responded to reflective prompts and engaged in mindful breath and movement exercises. Participants completed EI and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) pre- and posttests. A paired-samples t test examined the difference in mean scores. In vivo and focused coding was used for qualitative analysis.

Analysis revealed statistically significant increases in EI (7.5) and MAAS (10.38) mean scores from time 1 to time 2. Qualitative analysis revealed three themes: (1) awareness of self; (2) awareness of other people; and (3) awareness of self-growth.

Results suggest that integrating EI-building strategies into nursing curricula may positively influence EI and MF among students. This is important since emotional competencies support nurses' critical thinking skills in providing safe patient care.