Emotional intelligence is the skill to have, with managers across all industries are looking for it in their employees. The power of emotional intelligence in the health sector is no secret. It’s the not-so-magic ingredient to effective relationships with coworkers and patients and it can even help you get your next promotion. A high Emotional Quotient (EQ) is all about dealing with your own and other people’s emotions in a controlled way. It means you can identify your own emotions and control your emotions and behaviour. It also means you recognise other people’s emotions and behave with sensitivity and empathy.
All jobs require interacting with other people in some way. And work in the health sector is no different. Being able to interact with people professionally and sympatheticly is the basis of good working relationships. Emotional intelligence is a skill we all poses at different levels. But did you know, like any skill, you can work to improve it?
Technical skills are important to any role. But in the health sector, the priorities of employers are much broader. After all, they aren’t hiring a set of skills they are hiring a whole person. They need to know if that person will fit in and interact well with patients. The holistic approach to hiring means today’s nurses and healthcare professionals need to have more than just technical skills.
Navigate The Emotional Rollercoaster
Healthcare businesses can be complicated emotional and interpersonal environments. Whether you’re a frontline nurse in a hospital or an allied healthcare professional in a small clinic your workplace can be volatile. The nature of health services means even if you’re not dealing directly with life and death scenarios you’ll see the full spectrum of emotions in your patients. From joy and relief to stress and pain, everything seems magnified. Cultivating your emotional intelligence can help you manage yourself in these scenarios.
Developing effective working relationships with your coworkers is also very important. While studies have found that we can develop friendships by spending 90 hours with someone, these findings don’t apply to our co-workers. This is because our work is a closed-system. We don’t have any control over who we work with. The professional environment and rigid structure of authority make it an unnatural place to socialise in. These factors make it more difficult to develop relationships with our coworkers. They prevent us from becoming more than polite acquaintances without extra effort. High EQ can help you bridge that gap and build strong ties with your coworkers.
How to Raise Your EQ
Employers need to know you’ll fit in with everyone else and interact with patients and the general public well. They want to know you’ll be a positive addition that won’t cause tension or hostility. We all put our foot in our mouth occasionally, high EQ doesn’t mean you won’t make mistakes. Emotional intelligence makes us more aware. It helps us realise when we have made a mistake and how to make it up to someone. It also helps us avoid making those mistakes in the first place. Emotional intelligence is made up of a range of different skills. By being self-aware and practising every day you’ll improve your EQ. Here are the key three skills to focus on:
- Self-awareness – check in with yourself. Know how you’re feeling and how you’re projecting to other people. Be aware of your body language and tone. It’s not about feeling happy all the time. It’s about understanding yourself and not taking it out on others when you don’t feel 100%.
- Presence – keep focused and in the moment. Avoid distractions and set goals for yourself to stay present and motivated. Be attentive and listen actively to those around you. Stay grounded when there is conflict or unrest and focus on keeping calm and finding a solution.
- Empathy – try to see things from another person’s point of view. Understand that we’re all on our own journey and be nonjudgmental. Be patient and understanding of others. Learn to take criticism, listen and improve rather than feeling offended.
Using Your Emotional Intelligence To Get Health Sector Jobs
High emotional intelligence in the health sector is highly desired. Displaying your high EQ isn’t as easy as adding the skill to your resume. Emotional intelligence is apparent in everything you do. There isn’t a trick to it, you can only improve it with hard work. But it’s worth it. It is a life skill that can bring you success at work and beyond.
If you’re looking for some help improving your EQ or deciding on your next career move we can help. Did you know Nursing Resumes also offers career development counselling? Career development counselling can effectively test and determine your strengths and weaknesses. Your career counsellor can help you set goals and improve your skills to enhance your career. They provide invaluable knowledge for a successful future. Seeking advice from a qualified career coach can more than double your chances of landing a job. So contact us today and see how a career counsellor can help you get where you want to go.
