You’ve surely heard about IQ, but what about EQ? EQ refers to the emotional quotient which is defined as the ability to use, understand, and manage emotions. You can have a high IQ but still, be completely lost when it comes to empathizing with others. 

Unfortunately, it seems that emotional intelligence isn’t always a job requirement for nurses. While nurses are called to care for patients first and foremost, not all nurses have mastered the emotional intelligence aspect that’s needed to defuse conflict and make a difference in their patient’s lives. 

Recently I had the pleasure of chatting with NursePreneur and pediatric private duty nurse Amanda Francis. Drawing from her own experiences, Amanda does her best to hire emotionally intelligent nurses for her business Star Kids. 

With the personal motto of “making a difference one patient at a time” Amanda understands the value of hiring empathetic professionals that not only perform their jobs well but “empathize and understand that patients have family members” and these family member’s emotions are just as important as your patient’s.  

 No matter if you have a private duty nursing company or a cannabis consulting business, emotional intelligence plays a huge role in your ability to effectively communicate and empathize with your patients/clients. It also plays an integral role in leadership.  

Do you have enough emotional intelligence to make calculated and informed decisions? Can you effectively defuse tensions in the workplace? Do you have good stress management skills? 

These are all questions that you should ask yourself when launching your business. 

If however, you realize that your emotional intelligence is lacking, there are things you can do to expand your EQ, such as: 

• Don’t react to conflict, respond to it. 
• Be an active listener and understand what’s being said before responding. 
• Get self-motivated by setting goals. 
• Actively practice ways to maintain a positive mindset in times of adversity. 
• Learn how to read and understand body language. 
• Don’t react defensively to constructive criticism. 
• Be approachable and sociable, even when it makes you uncomfortable.

Get in touch with us for more tips and tricks on starting a successful business!