The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence Levels of Students and Problem-Solving Skills

Objectives: This research was performed in order to determine the emotional intelligence and problem-solving skills of nursing students and the effect of students' emotional intelligence levels on their problem-solving skills. Methods: This research was made descriptively. 174 students who were educated in Ataturk University Erzurum Health Institute Nursing Department and who accepted to participate in the research were considered as the study subjects. The data of the research were collected in April 2007. For collecting data, a questionnaire form created for determining the significant features of students, an emotional intelligence scale and a problemsolving inventory were used. Results: Among the sub-dimensions of the students' emotional intelligence levels, optimism was scored as 63.13 +/- 8.53, taking advantage of emotions as 14.85 +/- 4.11, expression of emotions as 39.98 +/- 6.08, and total emotional intelligence level as 116.33 +/- 11.27. Problem-solving skill average score was determined as 92.08 +/- 18.69. A statistically significant negative relation was found between the total emotional intelligence score and the sub-dimensions and average score of problem-solving. Conclusion: It was determined that the emotional intelligence average score of nursing students was slightly above the average and that their problem-solving skill levels were intermediate. It was also determined that the problem-solving skills of students increase as their emotional intelligence levels increase.