Emotions in the practice of nursing care in Hospital Units

Introduction: Emotional intelligence, understood as the ability to recognize and manage both one's own emotions and those of others, is a fundamental aspect in the field of health care, especially for nursing professionals. Objective: Measure emotional intelligence in the practice of emotional care of professionals in two hospital units in the province of Imbabura, Ecuador. Method: Quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive study, 206 nurses from two public hospital units in the province of Imbabura - Ecuador participated. The TMSS-24 Test was applied, which consists of twenty-four items distributed in three dimensions: emotional attention, clarity of feelings and emotional repair. The reliability of the test was determined using Cronbach's alpha coefficient with 0.96%. Results: Most of the nursing staff are women between 25 and 45 years old, with more than 10 years of work experience. 53% pay little attention; in clarity of feelings and emotional repair, they should improve 23%. In the entire study group, according to the total score, both men and women have a medium level in emotional attention. Conclusions: Nurses must improve emotional care. In this context, it is advisable that the leaders of nursing services develop an action plan focused on increasing emotional self-awareness, empathy, communication skills, stress management, problem solving and teamwork among professionals. These competencies are essential to providing quality patient-centered care, establishing meaningful connections that promote patient well-being and safety.