Emotional Intelligence in Healthcare Education

It is well known that empathy is an essential quality of a healthcare professional. What is less known and discussed is the role of other elements of emotional intelligence in healthcare practice. A high self-perception and self-expression could lead to improved patient care quality. Skills in the interpersonal domain leads to enhanced patient-practitioner relationship. Finally, helping patients make the best decision about their care draws significantly from decision making and stress management domains of the clinician’s emotional intelligence. In order to better prepare tomorrow’s healthcare practitioners we need to provide emotional intelligence exposure and development opportunities for today’s healthcare students.