How can healthcare professionals improve their emotional intelligence?
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— The LinkedIn Team
Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand and manage your own and others' emotions, especially in stressful situations. For healthcare professionals, EI is crucial for providing quality care, building rapport with patients and colleagues, and coping with the challenges of the healthcare environment. In this article, you will learn how to improve your EI skills and apply them to your healthcare practice.
EI consists of four main components: self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and social skills. Self-awareness is the ability to recognize and label your own emotions, strengths, and weaknesses. Self-regulation is the ability to control your impulses, adapt to change, and handle stress. Social awareness is the ability to empathize with others, understand their perspectives, and respect their feelings. Social skills are the ability to communicate effectively, collaborate with others, and resolve conflicts. EI matters because it influences how you interact with patients, colleagues, and yourself. It can help you to be more compassionate, empathetic, and respectful, as well as to cope with the emotional demands of your work.
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Luiz P.
Hospital CEO
Healthcare professionals can enhance their emotional intelligence by practicing self-awareness, developing empathy through active listening, honing effective communication skills, managing stress through healthy coping mechanisms, and seeking ongoing education on emotional intelligence principles.
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Dr Jenny Brockis
LinkedIn Top Voice 2023 | Creating thriving teams and leaders with sustainable high-performance
An effective health practitioner understands that compassion and connection are essential to assisting our patients to recover from illness and disease more quickly and to empower them to remain well
Before you can improve your EI, you need to know your current level and identify your areas of improvement. There are several ways to assess your EI, such as taking online tests, asking for feedback from others, or reflecting on your own experiences. Online tests can give you a general idea of your EI strengths and weaknesses, but they are not always accurate or reliable. Asking for feedback from others can help you to gain a different perspective and learn from their observations, but you need to be open-minded and receptive to criticism. Reflecting on your own experiences can help you to understand how you react to different situations and emotions, but you need to be honest and objective with yourself.
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Dr Jenny Brockis
LinkedIn Top Voice 2023 | Creating thriving teams and leaders with sustainable high-performance
EI is always a work in progress Those with lower EI in my experience are less likely to use on-line quizzes and may be deaf and blind to feedback from others EI has to begin with awareness and the curiosity to see how it can be increased
Self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence, as it allows you to better comprehend yourself and adjust your behavior accordingly. To cultivate your self-awareness, you can try keeping a journal to process your emotions, identify triggers, and recognize patterns. Meditation can also help you to relax your mind, focus on your breath, and become more conscious of your body and feelings. Seeking feedback from others is also beneficial in learning from their perspectives, appreciating compliments, and addressing any concerns.
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Dr Jenny Brockis
LinkedIn Top Voice 2023 | Creating thriving teams and leaders with sustainable high-performance
Self-awareness takes practice It’s hard to maintain it all the time! Scheduling in time for quiet reflection is something I found most useful along with challenging my fixed mindset that feedback is purely to find fault It’s taken a while but I now embrace feedback and will ask for honest reviews of my performance and interactions with others
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Emily Amos
GP | Speaker | Retreat Facilitator | Founder | Registered meditation & mindfulness teacher
Meditation is a great tool for improving self awareness but in my experience and that of many others, can be anything but relaxing. Learning how to come alongside our own inner world and experience all that so often is pushed aside in favour of looking outwardly takes time, patience and compassion. As a tool to cultivate self awareness however, meditation is invaluable.
Self-regulation is the ability to manage your emotions and impulses, especially in stressful situations. To improve your self-regulation, you can pause and breathe when feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. This can help you relax, clear your mind, and regain composure. Additionally, using positive affirmations can replace negative thoughts with positive ones, boosting confidence and motivating yourself. Finally, setting goals and priorities can help you focus on what matters, plan actions, and monitor progress.
Social awareness is the ability to empathize with others, understand their perspectives, and respect their feelings. To improve your social awareness, you can actively listen to what others are saying, expressing empathy by acknowledging and validating others' emotions, and being culturally sensitive to the diversity of cultures, beliefs, and values in the healthcare setting. Doing so can help you to understand their needs, concerns, and expectations; create a positive and caring atmosphere; reduce conflict and tension; avoid stereotypes, biases, and misunderstandings; and enhance communication and collaboration.
Social skills are the ability to communicate effectively, collaborate with others, and resolve conflicts. To improve your social skills, you can practice assertive communication, work as a team, and manage conflicts. Using assertive communication means expressing your opinions, needs, and feelings in a clear, respectful, and confident way. Working as a team involves sharing ideas and resources with others while respecting their contributions. Managing conflicts means addressing issues constructively, listening to both sides, and finding solutions that satisfy everyone. Enhancing your emotional intelligence (EI) can help you to improve your healthcare practice, increase employee engagement, and boost your well-being. By following these tips, you can develop your EI skills and apply them to your daily work.