Health emotions

Abstract

Introduction: Evolution based on advances in research is essential to practice, namely when wetalkabout health. However, thisfact leadsto an increase in the average life expectancy and, consequently, to situations of pain and prolonged suffering. On the other hand, being part of a multidisciplinary team and working with patients means dealing with a variety of emotions that can lead to stress. In view of the above, emotional intelligence, as the ability to assess one’s own and other people’s emotions, discerning the impact they cause and using this information to positively influence behavior, is essential for the performance of humanized and adequate care and for a successful job. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the importance of intelligence and emotional competence in health professionals. Methodology: A literature search was conducted in SciELO, online knowledge library and the Open Access Scientific Repository of Portugal, limited to the timeframe 2015-2021, using the following keywords: Health Professionals; Emotional Intelligence. The following inclusion criteria were defined: articles published between 2015 and 2021; full access to the document; articles related to quantitative/qualitative studies that portray the theme relevant to the objective of the study; articles in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. And as exclusion criteria: quantitative/qualitative articles that do not address the theme; articles that are distant from the theme. A total of 409 articles were found, and 7 articles were selected after verification of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Emotional intelligence may be useful in managing emotions, preventing the feelings experienced from having negative repercussions on the care provided (Rebelo & Martins, 2015). In addition, it contributes to a more pleasant work environment, positively affects job satisfaction (Cavaco, 2015), is associated with professional, personal, affective, and economic success (Junior, 2018), and protects against Burnout (Cavaco, 2015). It is known that, in its absence, the safety of the workplace and procedures and the satisfaction of patients and professionals are not ensured (Kozub et al., 2016). Conclusion: Despite the importance of emotional intelligence in health care provision, there are still few national studies in this area (Sousa, 2015). Still, the studies found allow concluding that the humanization, satisfaction, and safety of care imply an increased understanding of the health professionals’ own and other people’s emotions, thus their emotional competence is essential.