Correlation between emotional intelligence and perceived professional benefit in undergraduate nursing student interns / 中国职业医学

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status of emotional intelligence and perceived professional benefits in undergraduate nursing student interns(hereinafter referred to as nursing student intern) and to analyze their correlation. METHODS: By convenience sampling method, 322 nursing student interns from 3 class A general hospitals in Nanchang City were selected as study subjects. Their emotional intelligence and the occupation benefits they obtained were investigated by Emotional Intelligence Scale and Nurses′ Perceived Professional Benefits Scale. RESULTS: The total average score of emotional intelligence was(3.6±0.6) and the average scores of each dimension item were others′ emotional assessment(3.8±0.6), self-emotional management(3.6±0.7), self-emotional use(3.6±0.7) and self-emotional assessment(3.5±0.7). The total average score of perceived professional benefits was(3.9±0.6) and the average scores of all dimensions were good nurse patient relationship(4.1±0.6), self growth(4.0±0.7), team belonging(3.9±0.6), family identity(3.9±0.6), and positive occupational perception(3.7±0.7). Emotional intelligence and its four dimensions were positively correlated with nursing perceived professional benefits and its five dimensions(P<0.01). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis results showed that, emotional assessment of others and self-emotion management had a positive predictive effect on perceived professional benefits, and explained 41.5% of the variance. CONCLUSION: The emotional intelligence of nursing student interns and their perceived professional benefits were positively correlated. Nursing educators could improve the perceived professional benefits of nursing student interns by strengthening the training of emotional intelligence.