title: The relationship between emotional intelligence, previous caring experience and mindfulness in student nurses and midwives: a cross sectional analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Emotional Intelligence (EI), previous caring experience and mindfulness training may have a positive impact on nurse education. More evidence is needed to support the use of these variables in nurse recruitment and retention.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relationship between EI, gender, age, programme of study, previous caring experience and mindfulness training.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional element of longitudinal study.
  
  
  METHODS
  938year one nursing, midwifery and computing students at two Scottish Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) who entered their programme in September 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed a measure of 'trait' EI: Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short Form (TEIQue-SF); and 'ability' EI: Schutte's et al. (1998) Emotional Intelligence Scale (SEIS). Demographics, previous caring experience and previous training in mindfulness were recorded.
  
  
  METHODS
  Relationships between variables were tested using non-parametric tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Emotional intelligence increased with age on both measures of EI [TEIQ-SF H(5)=15.157 p=0.001; SEIS H(5)=11.388, p=0.044]. Females (n=786) scored higher than males (n=149) on both measures [TEIQ-SF, U=44,931, z=-4.509, p<.001; SEIS, U=44,744, z=-5.563, p<.001]. Nursing students scored higher that computing students [TEIQ-SF H(5)=46,496, p<.001; SEIS H(5)=33.309, p<0.001. There were no statistically significant differences in TEIQ-SF scores between those who had previous mindfulness training (n=50) and those who had not (n=857) [U=22,980, z=0.864, p = 0.388]. However, median SEIS was statistically significantly different according to mindfulness training [U=25,115.5, z=2.05, p=.039]. Neither measure demonstrated statistically significantly differences between those with (n=492) and without (n=479) previous caring experience, [TEIQ-SF, U=112, 102, z=0.938, p=.348; SEIS, U=115,194.5, z=1.863, p=0.063].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Previous caring experience was not associated with higher emotional intelligence. Mindfulness training was associated with higher 'ability' emotional intelligence. Implications for recruitment, retention and further research are explored.
authors.affiliation: University of the West of Scotland, Ayr Campus, Ayr KA8 0SX, UK. Electronic address: Austyn.snowden@uws.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Austyn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Snowden
authors.affiliation: The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Rosie.stenhouse@ed.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Rosie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stenhouse
authors.affiliation: University of the West of Scotland Paisley campus, Paisley, PA1 2BE. Electronic address: Jenny.young@uws.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN. Electronic address: 40135724@live.napier.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Carver
authors.affiliation: Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN. Electronic address: F.carver@napier.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carver
authors.affiliation: Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN. Electronic address: N.brown@napier.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Norrie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008880:Midwifery / Q000193:education*; D064866:Mindfulness; D011247:Pregnancy; D012606:Scotland; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Ability; Attributes; Caring; Emotional intelligence; Mindfulness; Nursing and midwifery; Recruitment; Trait