The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Intensive Care Nursing: A Scoping Review

Emotional intelligence (EI) is critical in intensive care unit (ICU) nursing, where nurses face high stress, clinical instability and emotionally demanding situations. EI helps nurses manage emotions, improve communication and support clinical performance. It has also been linked to lower burnout and more adaptive coping among ICU nurses.

This scoping review aimed to map the available evidence on emotional intelligence among nurses working in ICUs, including its key dimensions, associated professional outcomes and current knowledge gaps.

A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A structured search was conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed and Scopus for studies published in the past 10 years in Portuguese, English or Spanish.

In total, this review included nine studies. The evidence highlights the crucial role of EI in emotional regulation, communication and clinical performance among ICU nurses. Key dimensions of emotional intelligence, including empathy, emotional clarity and self-regulation, were consistently identified as important. Training programmes demonstrated significant improvements in EI and reduced burnout symptoms, and EI was also associated with more adaptive coping strategies and improved professional performance.

Emotional intelligence is an important competency in ICU nursing and has been linked to improved communication, clinical decision-making and lower burnout among nurses. Despite these benefits, research still shows gaps, particularly in standardising EI assessment tools and in the need for longitudinal studies. Targeted emotional intelligence training programmes may strengthen ICU nurses' emotional resilience and enhance care quality.

Integrating EI development into ICU nursing education and institutional policies can help reduce burnout, improve communication with patients and families, and enhance overall clinical performance, thereby supporting a healthier work environment and strengthening nurses' communication and professional performance in intensive care settings.