Understanding and enhancing emotional intelligence via a peer mentorship program in hospital-based nursing students

Abstract

Emotional intelligence (EI) is crucial for nursing students as it has been known to be positively correlated with academic and clinical performance, critical thinking, leadership skills, resilience and nursing competence. Particularly, hospital-based nursing students may receive less established school support when compared with university students; thus, they may be more vulnerable to emotional issues. However, the literature has not examined their EI level and ways to improve EI. Therefore, this thesis aimed to investigate the EI level of hospital-based nursing students in Hong Kong, and to develop and evaluate a peer mentorship program for enhancing their EI. The thesis comprises two phases. Phase I was a cross-sectional study and phase II was a historical controlled intervention study. In phase I, I recruited both full-time and part-time students in a nursing school of a private hospital in Hong Kong. Their EI level was assessed by the Schutte Self-report Emotional Intelligence Scale (SSEIS). Health-related contributing factors of EI were examined by administering the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLPII) and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI). In phase II, I developed a peer mentorship program after taking account the factors of EI identified in phase I, and conducted an evaluation in the same nursing school. Mentees were assessed at Months 0, 2 and 4. In phase I, 287 nursing students with mean age 21.89±2.11 years completed and returned the questionnaires during December 2018 to February 2019. The mean SSEIS overall score was 119.61±8.97 (95% confidence interval (CI) =118.57 to 120.65). No significant difference was found when compared to that of university nursing students in a local study (mean difference=0.35, 95% CI=-1.38 to 1.98, p=0.726). Furthermore, the mean SSEIS scores of full-time and part-time nursing students were 120.65±9.24 and 118.07±8.33, respectively. Their difference was not significant (B=-2.56, 95% CI=-6.86 to 1.75, p=0.243). Interpersonal relations (B=4.42, 95% CI=1.44 to 7.50, p=0.004), spiritual growth (B=6.59, 95% CI=3.81 to 9.37, p<0.001) and PSQI scores above 5 (B=-1.95, 95% CI=-3.88 to -0.01, p=0.049) showed significantly association with EI. In phase II, 60 junior nursing students were recruited as mentees in the intervention group and 20 full-time nursing students at a senior year were recruited as mentors during February 2020 to June 2020. The 172 full-time students recruited in phase I were used as historical control. After 4 months of the peer mentorship program, the mean SSEIS score of mentees increased from 117.43±11.50 at baseline to 127.20±12.26 (mean difference=9.77, 95% CI=5.47 to 14.07, p<0.001). Interpersonal relations dimension significantly increased from 25.40±4.03 at baseline to 27.48±4.65 by 4 months (mean difference=2.08, 95% CI=0.51 to 3.66, p=0.010). Spiritual growth significantly increased from 24.70±4.26 to 27.12±4.53 (mean difference=2.42, 95% CI=0.75 to 4.08, p=0.005). When compared with the historical control group, the peer mentorship program significantly increased SSEIS score (estimate=6.05, 95% CI=3.03 to 9.07, p<0.001), interpersonal relations (estimate=2.89, 95% CI=1.70 to 4.07, p<0.001) and spiritual growth (estimate=2.65, 95% CI=1.41 to 3.90, p<0.001) at 4 months. EI level of hospital-based nursing students was found to be indiscernible from students in university nursing education. Both full-time and part-time nursing students have the need of EI enhancement. Interpersonal relations, spiritual growth and sleep quality were the major contributing factors of EI. Peer mentorship program was an effective strategy to improve EI, interpersonal relations and spiritual growth of nursing students.