Scoping review of the impact of emotional intelligence on behaviours in human and veterinary healthcare teams

Background Global shortage of healthcare and veterinary professionals warrants seeking new ways of improving employee retention. Emotional intelligence (EI) helps individuals manage their emotions and behaviours, and it is reasonable to expect that EI might have an impact on the work environment, as well as the turnover of medical and veterinary staff. Methods A scoping review of the literature was performed by searching four electronic databases in both the veterinary and healthcare sectors. Publications were reviewed against eligibility criteria. Results The search showed a lack of studies investigating this topic in the veterinary literature. In the healthcare literature, 781 publications were identified; 20 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final review. The results showed that high EI can amplify positive behaviours and minimise negative behaviours in teams. Limitations Scoping reviews are at risk for selection bias if not all available data are identified. However, given the paucity of veterinary research and the similarities between the veterinary and healthcare industries, a scoping review of healthcare literature was considered an effective approach to identify key concepts relating to EI and its impact on the behaviours between team members that would be useful for reflection within the veterinary industry. Conclusions A lack of original research studies on this topic in veterinary literature was identified. The findings from healthcare should guide future research in the veterinary field. Studies investigating the impact of EI on the behaviours and affect on veterinary teams could contribute to create practical solutions to enhance employee retention.