Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T10:01:27.761Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Emotional intelligence development in radiation therapy students: a longitudinal study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 October 2015

Mary-Ann Carmichael ,
Pete Bridge  and
Anita Harriman
Mary-Ann Carmichael
Affiliation:
School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4001, Australia
Pete Bridge*
Affiliation:
School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside, UK
Anita Harriman
Affiliation:
School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4001, Australia
*
Correspondence to: Pete Bridge, Directorate of Medical Imaging and Radiotherapy, University of Liverpool, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L69 3BX, Merseyside, UK. Tel: +44 794 424 4626. E-mail: pete.bridge@liverpool.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Purpose

Emotional intelligence (EI) is an increasingly important aspect of a health professional’s skill set. It is strongly associated with empathy, reflection and resilience; all key aspects of radiotherapy practice. Previous work in other disciplines has formed contradictory conclusions concerning development of EI over time. This study aimed to determine the extent to which EI can develop during a radiotherapy undergraduate course and identify factors affecting this.

Methods and materials

This study used anonymous coded Likert-style surveys to gather longitudinal data from radiotherapy students relating to a range of self-perceived EI traits during their 3-year degree. Data were gathered at various points throughout the course from the whole cohort.

Results

A total of 26 students provided data with 14 completing the full series of datasets. There was a 17·2% increase in self-reported EI score with a p-value<0·0001. Social awareness and relationship skills exhibited the greatest increase in scores compared with self-awareness. Variance of scores decreased over time; there was a reduced change in EI for mature students who tended to have higher initial scores. EI increase was most evident immediately after clinical placements.

Conclusions

Radiotherapy students increase their EI scores during a 3-year course. Students reported higher levels of EI immediately after their clinical placement; radiotherapy curricula should seek to maximise on these learning opportunities.

Keywords

emotional intelligenceundergraduate studentsradiotherapy
Type
Original Articles
Information
Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice , Volume 15 , Issue 1 , March 2016 , pp. 45 - 53
Check for updates
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Salovey, P, Mayer, J. Emotional intelligence. Imagin Cogn Pers 1990; 9: 185–211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Victoroff, K Z, Boyatzis, R E. What is the relationship between emotional intelligence and dental student clinical performance? J Dent Educ 2013; 77 (4): 416–426.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Mayer, J D, Geher, G. Emotional intelligence and the identification of emotion. Intelligence 1996; 22 (2): 89–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Bar-On, R. The Bar-On model of emotional-social intelligence (ESI). Psicothema 2006; 18 (suppl): 13–25.Google ScholarPubMed
5.Goleman, D. What makes a leader? Harvard Business Review, January, 2004. https://hbr.org/2004/01/what-makes-a-leader. Accessed on 2nd September 2015.Google Scholar
6.Smith, K B, Profetto-McGrath, J, Cummings, G G. Emotional intelligence and nursing: an integrative literature review. Int J Nurs Stud 2009; 46: 1624–1636.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.KookerB M, Shoultz J B M, Shoultz J, Codier, E E. Identifying emotional intelligence in professional nursing practice. J Prof Nurs 2007; 23 (1): 30–36.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Emmerling, R J, Goleman, D. Emotional intelligence: issues and common misunderstandings. Issue Recent Dev Emotion Intell 2003; 1 (1). http://www.eiconsortium.org. Accessed on 2nd September 2015.Google Scholar
9.Petrides, K V, Furnham, A, Frederickson, N. Emotional intelligence. Psychologist 2004; 17 (10): 574–577.Google Scholar
10.Matthews, G, Zeidner, M, Roberts, R D. Emotional Intelligence Science and Myth. Cambridge, MA and London, England: The MIT Press, 2004.Google Scholar
11.Goleman, D. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, 10th Anniversary edition. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 2006.Google Scholar
12.Dulewicz, V, Higgs, M. Can emotional intelligence be developed? Int J Hum Resour Manag 2004; 15 (1): 95–111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Ioannidou, F, Konstantikaki, V. Empathy and emotional intelligence: what is it really about? Int J Caring Sci 2008; 1 (3): 118–123.Google Scholar
14.Weng, H, Steed, J F, Yu, Set al. The effect of surgeon empathy and emotional intelligence on patient satisfaction. Adv Health Sci Educ 2011; 16: 591–600.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.D’Cruz, H, Gillingham, P, Melendez, S. Reflexivity, its meanings and relevance for social work: a critical review of the literature. Br J Soc Work 2007; 37 (1): 73–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Schneider, T R, Lyons, J B, Khazon, S. Emotional intelligence and resilience. Pers Individ Differ 2013; 55: 909–914.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Cherry, M G, Fletcher, I, O’Sullivan, H, Dornan, T. Emotional intelligence in medical education: a critical review. Med Educ 2014; 48 (5): 468–478.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Shanta, L, Gargiulo, L. A study of the influence of nursing education on development of emotional intelligence. J Prof Nurs 2014; 30 (6): 511–520.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19.Grant, L, Kinman, G, Alexander, K. What’s all this talk about emotion? Developing emotional intelligence in social work students. Soc Work Educ 2014; 33 (7): 874–889.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20.Mackay, S J, Hogg, P, Baker, R D, Dawkes, T. A UK-wide analysis of trait emotional intelligence within the radiography profession. Radiography 2012; 18: 166–171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21.Findlay, N, Dempsey, S, Warren‐Forward, H. Validation and use of the Newcastle Reflective Analysis Tool: a three‐year longitudinal study of RT students’ reflective journals. Reflect Pract 2010; 11 (1): 83–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22.Bridge, P, Pirihi, C, Carmichael, M. The role of radiotherapy patients in provision of student interpersonal skills feedback. J Radiother Pract 2014; 13 (2): 141–148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23.Fullan, M. Education in motion—leading in a culture of change. www.michaelfullan.ca2005. Accessed on 2nd September 2015.Google Scholar
24.Dulewicz, V, Higgs, M. Can emotional intelligence be measured and developed? Leadersh Organ Dev J 1999; 20 (5): 242–253.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25.Landa, J M A, López-Zafra, E. The impact of emotional intelligence on nursing: an overview. Psychology 2010; 1: 50–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26.Birks, Y, McKendree, J, Watt, I. Emotional intelligence and perceived stress in healthcare students: a multi-institutional, multi-professional survey. Med Educ 2009; 9: 61.Google Scholar
27.Fernandez, C S P, Peterson, H B, Holmstrőm, S W, Connolly, A. Developing emotional intelligence for healthcare leaders. In Fabio A D (ed.), Emotional Intelligence—New Perspectives and Applications. http://www.intechopen.com/books/emotional-intelligence-new-perspectives-and-applications/developing-emotional-intelligence-for-healthcare-leaders. Accessed on 2nd September 2015.Google Scholar
28.Fernández-Berrocal, P, Cabello, R, Castillo, R, Extremera, N. Gender differences in emotional intelligence: the mediating effect of age. Behav Psychol 2012; 20 (1): 77–89.Google Scholar