431 - Emotional Intelligence of the Surgical Technologist

easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy.” That is called Emotional Intelligence (EI). It is undeniable that the operating room is characterized by being an aggressive and a complex work environment where emotional intelligence serves as the buf- fer to help mediate through problems caused by rivalry, passive aggressive attitudes and behav- iors, insecurities, insensitivities, and overly sen- sitive personalities. Researchers have suggested that people with top levels of EI bring balanced emotions to the environment. The good news is that emotional intelligence is an acquired skill and everyone can make the choice to modify his or her mindset and demeanors to enhance these skills. U N D E R S T A N D I N G E M O T I O N A L I N T E L L I G E N C E ( E I ) Since its inception, several definitions have been given to emotional intelligence and the simplest description one can offer is the “human skills to manage and regulate one’s own emotions, impulses and feelings.” Nonetheless, EI is a key component of personal well-being, interpersonal relation- ships, and success in life. EI has its roots in the concept called “Social Intelligence” explored by American psycholo- gist and adult learning researcher Edward Thorndike in the 1920s, who originally described it as the “ability to get along with others.” Subsequently, emotional intelligence was offi- cially coined in 1990 by Peter Salovey and Jack Mayer, both human behavioral researchers, and popularized by Daniel Goleman in 1995. Today, EI is predominantly studied in clinical, behavioral, social and organizational psychology to better understand the dynamics of human behavior and interactions among each other. Top tier studies suggested those who possess high levels of EI are equipped with a robust self-control, empathy, upmost levels of interpersonal skills and the pur- pose of achieving a constructive and productive outcome. Emotional intelligent people are typically well-adjusted, warm, persistent, and are able to handle difficult or stress- ful situations in life. On the other hand, Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso (2000) sustained that people who lack emotional intelligence also lack of the inability to: lever distressing emotions, which can cripple them from successfully engag- ing in constructive relationships; work as a team; carry on tasks under stress and pressure; lead effectively; make accu- rate and sound decisions; manage struggles with coworkers; and control their emotions. Since emotional intelligence involves multidimensional domains at intrapersonal and interpersonal levels, this func- tion is only successfully achieved through self-reflection (intrapersonal), and the individual’s ability to examine and understand other people’s feelings in order to work well in cooperation with others (interpersonal). That entails the individual’s understanding and ability to form an accurate portrait of one’s self, connected to the ability to perceive and manage own emotions and feelings, and other people’s feelings. In other words, emotional intelligence comprises of a “set of mental and spoken abilities” and brings together intellect and emotions, where intelligence is the higher-level controlling power regulating moods, emotional perceptions and verbal expressions to discriminate one’s own feelings based on each individual circumstance. The ability to master these skills gives an individual powerful tools to transform negative situations into positive and constructive outcomes and solve problems. E I A N D T H E S U R G I C A L T E A M The concept of EI is a hot topic in today’s society. Corporate leaders have begun to realize of the importance of emo- tional intelligence among their personnel and have included assessments measuring emotional intelligence levels when hiring employees or enrolling students into their school programs. The operating room as a branch of medicine, hosts diverse clinical personnel. These healthcare professionals work closely as part of a team to serve patients and members of their families. The surgical staff must display compassion, empathy, patience, all while interpreting and understand- ing the patient’s feelings. Therefore, it is vital for them to CSTsmustdisplayexcellentworkperformancethrough- out theentire surgical process, aswell asmaintainpro- fessionalism, focus and effective communication with other teammembers regardless of personal issues. | The Surgical Technologist | NOVEMBER 2019 520