The Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Nursing Leadership Effectiveness and Team Collaboration

Posted: May 21, 2007

• Penelope Parker
• Rachel Reed
• Ryan Long

Abstract

The contemporary healthcare landscape presents unprecedented challenges for nursing leadership, characterized by increasing patient acuity, staffing shortages, and organizational complexity. Within this context, the effectiveness of nurse leaders has emerged as a critical determinant of both patient outcomes and team functioning. Traditional approaches to nursing leadership development have predominantly emphasized clinical expertise, administrative competence, and technical management skills. However, growing evidence suggests that these conventional competencies may be insufficient for navigating the complex interpersonal dynamics and emotional demands of modern healthcare environments. Emotional intelligence represents a constellation of abilities related to the perception, understanding, and management of emotions in oneself and others. While the concept has gained traction in general leadership literature, its specific application and impact within nursing leadership contexts remains inadequately explored. Previous research has established correlations between emotional intelligence and various leadership outcomes, but these studies have typically employed limited assessment methodologies and failed to capture the dynamic interplay between leader emotional competencies and team collaboration processes. This research addresses significant gaps in the existing literature through several innovative contributions. First, we develop and validate a comprehensive assessment framework that integrates multiple measurement approaches to capture the multidimensional nature of emotional intelligence in nursing leadership. Second, we investigate not only the direct effects of emotional intelligence on leadership effectiveness but also the mediating mechanisms through which emotional competencies influence team collaboration. Third, we identify specific emotional intelligence thresholds that differentiate moderately effective from highly effective nursing leaders.