Emotional Self-Management Experiences of Practical Nursing Students

This paper is part of a doctoral dissertation based on a 2017 phenomenological study that explored practical nursing (PN) students’ lived experiences with emotional self-management in clinical settings using van Manen’s orientation to hermeneutic phenomenology. A review of PN program curricula in Ontario, Canada, suggested that they do not specifically include emotional intelligence (EI) and the core concept of emotional self-management. Mayer’s and Salovey’s original four-branch ability model of EI was used as the theoretical framework. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a purposive convenience sample of 10 PN students at a southern Ontario community college. Findings suggested that the participants perceived themselves to have basic EI knowledge. Participants expressed that their first knowing, in the phenomenological sense, of EI provided them with more confidence and awareness. An increased understanding of emotional self-management could enhance teaching and learning approaches, particularly with PN students who are exposed to high-stress clinical environments.