Abstract:

INTRODUCTION: This study was performed to determine emotional quotient and affecting factors in nursing students. METHODS: The study population included 325 students studying nursing at Health Services School of Health Sciences Faculty at Doğu Akdeniz University in the academic year of 2014-2015. No sampling method was used and the study sample was composed of 222 students voluntarily participating in the study (68%). Data were collected with Personal Characteristics Form, involving questions about socio-demographics, and the Emotional Quotient Inventory. Obtained data were analyzed with Statistical Package Program for Social Sciences 15 and evaluated with Mann Whitney U Test and Kruskal Wallis H test. RESULTS: The mean total score was 123.31± 34.27 for the Emotional Quotient Inventory, 23.04±6.91 for its subscale empathy, 22.41±6.99 for its subscale awareness about feelings, 21.83±6.73 for its subscale motivating oneself, 21.38±6.37 for its subscale, social skills and 20.71±6.34 for its subscale management of feelings. Although there was a statistically significant difference between emotional quotient and year of study, type of university exam, education levels of fathers and receiving a course about emotional quotient (p 0.05), the difference between emotional quotient and gender was not significant (p>;0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that the students had low emotional quotient scores and that their emotional intelligence needs to be improved. It is important that nursing education plans include courses and training strategies to develop emotional intelligence.

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