Abstract
Background: Nursing students need to develop Emotional Intelligence (EI) skills to
deliver effective care and navigate the challenges of their profession. However, the practical
application of teaching EI in pre-registration nursing education and the development of key
components such as self-awareness, social skills, and decision-making abilities have been
neglected in existing literature. This oversight hampers students' ability to effectively apply EI
in their future practice. Moreover, traditional learning methods are predominantly used, with
minimal integration of simulation-based learning (SBL) techniques.
Purpose: The study examines the effectiveness of teaching EI using simulation with
pre-registration nursing students in an English Higher Educational Institute (HEI).
Methods: A mixed methods sequential explanatory approach was selected to address
the research question. An SBL intervention was developed and delivered for nursing students
in the university campus. A quantitative pre-test/post-test intervention design was employed to
assess the students’ EI scores. EI score. A total of 116 pre-registration nursing students from
three academic year groups completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Short Form
Questionnaire (TEIQue-SF). Subsequently, post-intervention focus group interviews were
conducted with both students and nursing tutors.
Results: The findings from both quantitative and qualitative data demonstrated a
significant effect of SBL on nursing students' post intervention EI scores. The students in this
study scored a higher level of overall EI after the implementation of the simulation intervention
and reported four main themes: SBL intervention enhanced awareness of their own and others’
emotions, learning to control their own emotions as well as feeling more empowered to
transition to engage in clinical practice. The combined findings from both the quantitative and
qualitative studies generated insights of the phenomenon to develop EI among nursing students.