What are the characteristics of EI among highperforming
nurses? Kooker et al.14 performed qualitative
research regarding domains and competencies related to
EI among certified nurses. They showed that the most
effective EI domain was social awareness, and that those
who had high nursing performance effectively managed
social situations in their nursing practice. The Emotional
Intelligence Scale (EQS) measures EI and includes a situational
domain.15 Research using the EQS has shown the
importance of the situational domain for nurses. Situational
judgment is necessary for nurses’ mental health16
and can be improved by self-awareness training for newly
graduated nurses.17 Nurses working in a fast-changing
modern society must be able to make situational judgments
in interpersonal relationships, yet few studies have
examined the relationship between nursing performance
and situational aspects of EI.