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Ability-Based Emotional Intelligence Training in Nursing Students: An Action Research on Emotion Regulation and Mental Empowerment

Year 2025, Volume: 17 Issue: Supplement 1, 251 - 263
https://doi.org/10.18863/pgy.1756738

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore in depth the changes created by training based on the Ability-Based Emotional Intelligence Model in nursing students.
Method: This action research, conducted with a qualitative design, comprised three phases: before, during, and after the intervention. The study was carried out with 30 first-year nursing students. The students received training based on the Ability-Based Emotional Intelligence Model, consisting of 14 modules. After completion of the training, in-depth interviews were conducted with the students. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results: Under the main theme of Perceiving Emotions, the subthemes of Awareness of Suppressed Emotions and Self-Awareness through Attributing Meaning to Emotions emerged. Under the theme of Facilitating Thinking through Emotions, the subthemes of Reasoning through Emotions and Consciously Regulating the Impact of Emotions on Reactions were identified. Under the theme of Understanding Emotions, subthemes of Ability to Differentiate Between Multiple Emotions and Deepening of Emotional Empathy were revealed. Finally, under the theme of Managing/Regulating Emotions, the subthemes of Developing Strategies to Cope with Triggering Emotions and Ability to Regulate the Intensity of Emotional Expression were determined.
Conclusion: The study revealed that training based on the Ability Model of Emotional Intelligence enhanced nursing students’ self-awareness and ability to manage their emotions more consciously. These findings suggest that EI-based education can play a valuable role in supporting both personal growth and professional competence in nursing students. Accordingly, it is recommended that emotional development-focused courses based on the Ability-Based Emotional Intelligence Model be systematically integrated into the nursing curriculum.

References

  • Allegretta RA, Rovelli K, Balconi M (2024) The role of emotion regulation and awareness in psychosocial stress: an eeg-psychometric correlational study. Healthcare (Basel), 12:1491
  • Babaii A, Mohammadi E, Sadooghiasl A (2021) The meaning of the empathetic nurse-patient communication: A qualitative study. J Patient Exp, 8: 23743735211056432.
  • Bar-On R (2006). The Bar-On model of emotional-social intelligence (ESI). Psicothema, 18(Suppl):13–25.
  • Beauvais AM, Brady N, O'Shea ER, Griffin MT (2011) Emotional intelligence and nursing performance among nursing students. Nurse Educ Today, 31:396–401.
  • Braun V, Clarke V (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol, 3:77–101.
  • Caprara M, Gerbino M, Mebane ME, Ramirez-Uclés IM (2022) Self-efficacy beliefs in managing positive emotions: Associations with positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction across gender and ages. Front Hum Neurosci, 16: 927648.
  • Cheraghi R, Parizad N, Alinejad V, Piran M, Almasi L (2025) The effect of emotional intelligence on nurses’ job performance: the mediating role of moral intelligence and occupational stress. BMC Nurs, 24:130.
  • Codier E, Muneno L, Franey K, Matsuura F (2010) Is emotional intelligence an important concept for nursing practice? J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs, 17:940–948.
  • Filice L, Weese WJ (2024) Developing Emotional Intelligence. Encyclopedia, 4:583-599.
  • Foster K, McCloughen A, Delgado C, Kefalas C, Harkness E (2015) Emotional intelligence education in pre-registration nursing programmes: An integrative review. Nurse Educ Today, 35:510–517.
  • Grant L, Kinman G, Alexander K (2014) What's all this talk about emotion? Developing emotional intelligence in social work students. Soc Work Educ, 33:874–889.
  • Goleman D (1998) Working with Emotional Intelligence. New York, Bantam Books.
  • Jawabreh N (2024) The relationship between emotional intelligence and coping behaviors among nurses in the intensive care unit. SAGE Open Nurs, 10:23779608241242853.
  • Kemmis S, Mctaggart R, Nixon R (2014) The Action Research Planner: Doing Critical Participatory Action Research. Singapore, Springer.
  • Khademi E, Abdi M, Saeidi M, Piri S, Mohammadian R (2021) Emotional intelligence and quality of nursing care: A need for continuous professional development. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res, 26:361–367.
  • Khalaf Alah S, Abdelrahman S, Abd ELbaset M (2018) Emotional intelligence and it's relation to stress coping strategies and academic achievement among Faculty of Nursing students. Minia Scientific Nursing Journal, 3:44-52.
  • Kozlowski D, Hutchinson M, Hurley J, Rowley J, Sutherland J (2017) The role of emotion in clinical decision making: An integrative literature review. BMC Med Educ, 17:255.
  • Kozubal M, Szuster A, Wielgopolan A (2023) Emotional regulation strategies in daily life: the intensity of emotions and regulation choice. Front Psychol, 14: 1218694.
  • Labrague LJ (2024) Umbrella review: Stress levels, sources of stress, and coping mechanisms among student nurses. Nurs Rep, 14:362-375.
  • Landis JR, Koch GG (1977) The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics, 33:159–174.
  • Landy FJ (2005) Some historical and scientific issues related to research on emotional intelligence. J Organ Behav, 26:411–424.
  • Li MN, Ren YL, Liu LJ, Cheng MH, Di Q, Chang HJ et al. (2024) The effect of emotion regulation on empathic ability in Chinese nursing students: The parallel mediating role of emotional intelligence and self-consistency congruence. Nurse Educ Pract, 75:103882.
  • Lincoln Y, Guba EG (1985) Naturalistic Inquiry. Newbury Park, CA, Sage.
  • Machado, DR, Brás MM, Almeida ALd, Vilela C (2025) The relationship between nurses’ emotional competence and evidence-based nursing: a scoping review. Nurs Rep, 15:124.
  • Mansuroğlu S (2025) The effectiveness of stress management training given to first-class health major students in perceiving and coping with stress and developing resilience: A randomized controlled trial. Appl Psychol Health Well Being, 17:e70014.
  • Mattingly V, Kraiger K (2019) Can emotional intelligence be trained? A meta-analytical investigation. Human Resource Management Review, 29:140–155.
  • Mayer JD, Salovey P (1997) What is emotional intelligence? In Emotional development and emotional intelligence: Educational implications (Eds P. Salovey, DJ Sluyter):3-34. New York, Basic Books.
  • Mayer JD, Caruso DR, Salovey P (2016) The ability model of emotional intelligence: Principles and updates. Emot Review, 8:290-300.
  • Mayer JD, Salovey P, Caruso DR (2004) Emotional intelligence: Theory, findings, and implications. Psycholo Inq, 15:197–215.
  • McNulty JP, Politis Y (2023) Empathy, emotional intelligence and interprofessional skills in healthcare education. J Med Imaging Radiat Sci, 54:238–246.
  • McRae K, Gross JJ (2020) Emotion Regulation. Emotion, 20:1–9.
  • Merino M, Tornero-Aguilera JF, Rubio-Zarapuz A, Villanueva-Tobaldo CV, Martín-Rodríguez A, Clemente-Suárez V (2024). Body perceptions and psychological well-being: A review of the ımpact of social media and physical measurements on self-esteem and mental health with a focus on body ımage satisfaction and ıts relationship with cultural and gender factors. Healthcare (Basel), 12:1396.
  • Mora-Pelegrín M, Montes-Berges B, Aranda M, Vázquez MA, Armenteros-Martínez E (2021) The empathic capacity and the ability to regulate it: Construction and validation of the empathy management scale (EMS). Healthcare (Basel), 9:587.
  • Park J, Rajaguru V, Kim J (2024) The effect of emotional intelligence, caring efficacy, and social support on clinical competency of nursing students. Open Nurs J, 18:e18744346358099.
  • Petrides KV (2011) Ability and trait emotional intelligence. In Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Individual Differences (Eds T Chamorro-Premuzic, A Furnham, S von Stumm):656-678. Chichester,UK, Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Rafati F, Nouhi E, Sabzevari S, Dehghan-Nayeri N (2017) Coping strategies of nursing students for dealing with stress in clinical setting: A qualitative study. Electron Physician, 9:6120-6128.
  • Raghubir AE (2018) Emotional intelligence in professional nursing practice: A concept review using Rodgers's evolutionary analysis approach. Int J Nurs Sci, 5:126–130.
  • Rankin B (2013) Emotional intelligence: enhancing values-based practice and compassionate care in nursing. J Adv Nurs, 69:2717–2725.
  • Salem GMM, Hashimi W, El-Ashry AM (2025. Reflective mindfulness and emotional regulation training to enhance nursing students’ self-awareness, understanding, and regulation: a mixed method randomized controlled trial. BMC Nurs, 24:478.
  • Salovey P, Mayer JD (1990) Emotional intelligence. Imagin Cogn Pers, 9:185–211.
  • Schutte NS, Malouff JM, Thorsteinsson EB (2013) Increasing emotional intelligence through training: Current status and future directions. The International Journal of Emotional Education, 5:56–72.
  • Serrat O (2017) Knowledge Solutions: Tools, Methods, and Approaches to Drive Organizational Performance. Singapore, Springer.
  • Speziale HS, Streubert HJ, Carpenter DR (2011) Qualitative Research İn Nursing: Advancing The Humanistic İmperative. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
  • Stringer ET (2014) Action Research: A Handbook for Practitioners (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage.
  • Than NN, Soe HHK, Abas ABL, Rampal KG, Begum J, Bahari R (2025) The development and effectiveness of ability based model intervention on emotional intelligence in final year medical students: A randomized control trial. J Educ Health Promot, 14:188.
  • Tong A, Sainsbury P, Craig J (2007) Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. Int J Qual Health Care, 19:349–357.
  • Yıldırım A, Şimşek H (2016) Sosyal Bilimlerde Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri. Ankara, Seçkin Yayınevi.
  • Zeidner M, Matthews G, Roberts RD (2009) What We Know About Emotional Intelligence: How It Affects Learning, Work, Relationships, and Our Mental Health? Cambridge, MA, MIT Press.

Yetenek Temelli Duygusal Zekâ Eğitimi: Hemşirelik Öğrencilerinde Duygu Düzenleme ve Ruhsal Güçlenme Üzerine Bir Eylem Araştırması

Year 2025, Volume: 17 Issue: Supplement 1, 251 - 263
https://doi.org/10.18863/pgy.1756738

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, Yetenek Temelli Duygusal Zekâ Modeli’ne dayalı eğitimle hemşirelik öğrencilerinde ortaya çıkan değişimleri derinlemesine incelemektir.
Yöntem: Nitel desende yürütülen bu eylem araştırması, eylem öncesi, sırası ve sonrası olmak üzere üç aşamadan oluşmuştur. Araştırma, birinci sınıfta okuyan 30 hemşirelik öğrencisiyle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Öğrenciler, 14 modülden oluşan Yetenek Temelli Duygusal Zekâ Modeli temelli bir eğitim almış, eğitim tamamlandıktan sonra derinlemesine bireysel görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Veriler tematik analizle değerlendirilmiştir.
Bulgular: Duyguları algılama ana temasının altında; bastırılan duyguların farkına varma, duygulara anlam yükleyerek benlik tanıma, duygularla düşünmeyi kolaylaştırma ana temasının altında; duygular yoluyla akıl yürütme ve duyguların tepkilere etkisini bilinçle ayarlama alt temalarını, duyguları anlama ana temasının altında çoklu duygular arasında ayırt etme becerisi ve duygusal empatinin derinleşmesi alt temalarının açığa çıktığı görüldü. Son tema olan duyguları yönetme/düzenleme ana temasının altında ise tetikleyici duygularla baş etme stratejisi geliştirme ve duyguların ifade yoğunluğunu ayarlayabilme alt temalarının oluştuğu belirlendi.
Sonuç: Eğitim, öğrencilerin öz farkındalıklarını ve duygularını bilinçli yönetme becerilerini geliştirmiştir. Bulgular, duygusal zekâ temelli eğitimin hem kişisel gelişim hem de mesleki yeterlilik açısından önemli katkılar sağlayabileceğini göstermektedir. Bu nedenle Yetenek Temelli Duygusal Zekâ Modeli’ne dayalı duygusal gelişim odaklı derslerin hemşirelik müfredatına sistematik olarak entegre edilmesi önerilmektedir.

References

  • Allegretta RA, Rovelli K, Balconi M (2024) The role of emotion regulation and awareness in psychosocial stress: an eeg-psychometric correlational study. Healthcare (Basel), 12:1491
  • Babaii A, Mohammadi E, Sadooghiasl A (2021) The meaning of the empathetic nurse-patient communication: A qualitative study. J Patient Exp, 8: 23743735211056432.
  • Bar-On R (2006). The Bar-On model of emotional-social intelligence (ESI). Psicothema, 18(Suppl):13–25.
  • Beauvais AM, Brady N, O'Shea ER, Griffin MT (2011) Emotional intelligence and nursing performance among nursing students. Nurse Educ Today, 31:396–401.
  • Braun V, Clarke V (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol, 3:77–101.
  • Caprara M, Gerbino M, Mebane ME, Ramirez-Uclés IM (2022) Self-efficacy beliefs in managing positive emotions: Associations with positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction across gender and ages. Front Hum Neurosci, 16: 927648.
  • Cheraghi R, Parizad N, Alinejad V, Piran M, Almasi L (2025) The effect of emotional intelligence on nurses’ job performance: the mediating role of moral intelligence and occupational stress. BMC Nurs, 24:130.
  • Codier E, Muneno L, Franey K, Matsuura F (2010) Is emotional intelligence an important concept for nursing practice? J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs, 17:940–948.
  • Filice L, Weese WJ (2024) Developing Emotional Intelligence. Encyclopedia, 4:583-599.
  • Foster K, McCloughen A, Delgado C, Kefalas C, Harkness E (2015) Emotional intelligence education in pre-registration nursing programmes: An integrative review. Nurse Educ Today, 35:510–517.
  • Grant L, Kinman G, Alexander K (2014) What's all this talk about emotion? Developing emotional intelligence in social work students. Soc Work Educ, 33:874–889.
  • Goleman D (1998) Working with Emotional Intelligence. New York, Bantam Books.
  • Jawabreh N (2024) The relationship between emotional intelligence and coping behaviors among nurses in the intensive care unit. SAGE Open Nurs, 10:23779608241242853.
  • Kemmis S, Mctaggart R, Nixon R (2014) The Action Research Planner: Doing Critical Participatory Action Research. Singapore, Springer.
  • Khademi E, Abdi M, Saeidi M, Piri S, Mohammadian R (2021) Emotional intelligence and quality of nursing care: A need for continuous professional development. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res, 26:361–367.
  • Khalaf Alah S, Abdelrahman S, Abd ELbaset M (2018) Emotional intelligence and it's relation to stress coping strategies and academic achievement among Faculty of Nursing students. Minia Scientific Nursing Journal, 3:44-52.
  • Kozlowski D, Hutchinson M, Hurley J, Rowley J, Sutherland J (2017) The role of emotion in clinical decision making: An integrative literature review. BMC Med Educ, 17:255.
  • Kozubal M, Szuster A, Wielgopolan A (2023) Emotional regulation strategies in daily life: the intensity of emotions and regulation choice. Front Psychol, 14: 1218694.
  • Labrague LJ (2024) Umbrella review: Stress levels, sources of stress, and coping mechanisms among student nurses. Nurs Rep, 14:362-375.
  • Landis JR, Koch GG (1977) The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics, 33:159–174.
  • Landy FJ (2005) Some historical and scientific issues related to research on emotional intelligence. J Organ Behav, 26:411–424.
  • Li MN, Ren YL, Liu LJ, Cheng MH, Di Q, Chang HJ et al. (2024) The effect of emotion regulation on empathic ability in Chinese nursing students: The parallel mediating role of emotional intelligence and self-consistency congruence. Nurse Educ Pract, 75:103882.
  • Lincoln Y, Guba EG (1985) Naturalistic Inquiry. Newbury Park, CA, Sage.
  • Machado, DR, Brás MM, Almeida ALd, Vilela C (2025) The relationship between nurses’ emotional competence and evidence-based nursing: a scoping review. Nurs Rep, 15:124.
  • Mansuroğlu S (2025) The effectiveness of stress management training given to first-class health major students in perceiving and coping with stress and developing resilience: A randomized controlled trial. Appl Psychol Health Well Being, 17:e70014.
  • Mattingly V, Kraiger K (2019) Can emotional intelligence be trained? A meta-analytical investigation. Human Resource Management Review, 29:140–155.
  • Mayer JD, Salovey P (1997) What is emotional intelligence? In Emotional development and emotional intelligence: Educational implications (Eds P. Salovey, DJ Sluyter):3-34. New York, Basic Books.
  • Mayer JD, Caruso DR, Salovey P (2016) The ability model of emotional intelligence: Principles and updates. Emot Review, 8:290-300.
  • Mayer JD, Salovey P, Caruso DR (2004) Emotional intelligence: Theory, findings, and implications. Psycholo Inq, 15:197–215.
  • McNulty JP, Politis Y (2023) Empathy, emotional intelligence and interprofessional skills in healthcare education. J Med Imaging Radiat Sci, 54:238–246.
  • McRae K, Gross JJ (2020) Emotion Regulation. Emotion, 20:1–9.
  • Merino M, Tornero-Aguilera JF, Rubio-Zarapuz A, Villanueva-Tobaldo CV, Martín-Rodríguez A, Clemente-Suárez V (2024). Body perceptions and psychological well-being: A review of the ımpact of social media and physical measurements on self-esteem and mental health with a focus on body ımage satisfaction and ıts relationship with cultural and gender factors. Healthcare (Basel), 12:1396.
  • Mora-Pelegrín M, Montes-Berges B, Aranda M, Vázquez MA, Armenteros-Martínez E (2021) The empathic capacity and the ability to regulate it: Construction and validation of the empathy management scale (EMS). Healthcare (Basel), 9:587.
  • Park J, Rajaguru V, Kim J (2024) The effect of emotional intelligence, caring efficacy, and social support on clinical competency of nursing students. Open Nurs J, 18:e18744346358099.
  • Petrides KV (2011) Ability and trait emotional intelligence. In Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Individual Differences (Eds T Chamorro-Premuzic, A Furnham, S von Stumm):656-678. Chichester,UK, Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Rafati F, Nouhi E, Sabzevari S, Dehghan-Nayeri N (2017) Coping strategies of nursing students for dealing with stress in clinical setting: A qualitative study. Electron Physician, 9:6120-6128.
  • Raghubir AE (2018) Emotional intelligence in professional nursing practice: A concept review using Rodgers's evolutionary analysis approach. Int J Nurs Sci, 5:126–130.
  • Rankin B (2013) Emotional intelligence: enhancing values-based practice and compassionate care in nursing. J Adv Nurs, 69:2717–2725.
  • Salem GMM, Hashimi W, El-Ashry AM (2025. Reflective mindfulness and emotional regulation training to enhance nursing students’ self-awareness, understanding, and regulation: a mixed method randomized controlled trial. BMC Nurs, 24:478.
  • Salovey P, Mayer JD (1990) Emotional intelligence. Imagin Cogn Pers, 9:185–211.
  • Schutte NS, Malouff JM, Thorsteinsson EB (2013) Increasing emotional intelligence through training: Current status and future directions. The International Journal of Emotional Education, 5:56–72.
  • Serrat O (2017) Knowledge Solutions: Tools, Methods, and Approaches to Drive Organizational Performance. Singapore, Springer.
  • Speziale HS, Streubert HJ, Carpenter DR (2011) Qualitative Research İn Nursing: Advancing The Humanistic İmperative. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
  • Stringer ET (2014) Action Research: A Handbook for Practitioners (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage.
  • Than NN, Soe HHK, Abas ABL, Rampal KG, Begum J, Bahari R (2025) The development and effectiveness of ability based model intervention on emotional intelligence in final year medical students: A randomized control trial. J Educ Health Promot, 14:188.
  • Tong A, Sainsbury P, Craig J (2007) Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. Int J Qual Health Care, 19:349–357.
  • Yıldırım A, Şimşek H (2016) Sosyal Bilimlerde Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri. Ankara, Seçkin Yayınevi.
  • Zeidner M, Matthews G, Roberts RD (2009) What We Know About Emotional Intelligence: How It Affects Learning, Work, Relationships, and Our Mental Health? Cambridge, MA, MIT Press.
There are 48 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Psychiatry
Journal Section Research
Authors

Seda Tek Sevindik 0000-0002-1310-5384

Sercan Mansuroğlu 0000-0001-7562-0843

Early Pub Date September 20, 2025
Publication Date October 8, 2025
Submission Date August 2, 2025
Acceptance Date September 20, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 17 Issue: Supplement 1

Cite

AMA Tek Sevindik S, Mansuroğlu S. Ability-Based Emotional Intelligence Training in Nursing Students: An Action Research on Emotion Regulation and Mental Empowerment. Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry. September 2025;17(Supplement 1):251-263. doi:10.18863/pgy.1756738

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