Published 2024-03-15
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Emotional intelligence (EI) is vital in enhancing nurse-patient communication as a foundation for trust, understanding, and improved healthcare outcomes. This study investigates how the three crucial emotional intelligence competencies—self-awareness, empathy, and emotional regulation—impact the effectiveness of nurse-patient interaction in a public hospital in Makkah, Saudi Arabia because the patients are from many different ethnicities. In this current research, a mixed-method approach was applied through a structured questionnaire with 12 questions relating to demographic data, emotional intelligence, and communication skills. The response alternatives ranged from Likert scales up to open-text answers to allow comprehensive data collection. These findings showed that nurses with a high emotional intelligence score showed much better communication skills in managing stress, being more empathetic toward their patients, and using eyes, gestures, and body postures to convey messages even in language and cultural barriers. Additionally, the patients found them more satisfying as the emotionally intelligent nurses explained transparently and were also seen to understand them. These findings emphasize the need for nursing education and professional growth to include training in emotional intelligence since the outcome of such training is enhanced patient care and improved nurses' ability to cope better with occupational stress.