Emotional Intelligence and Midwifery

Emotional intelligence is a concept that primarily enables individuals to understand and manage their own feelings, understand the feelings of other people, establish empathy, increase their motivation, and develop the senses of self-confidence. Emotional intelligence may enable the development of professional relations in midwifery practices and different viewpoints in complex situations. If midwives approach the pregnant women with an emphatic attitude, they could determine their needs more accurately and obtain positive results since the individual who feels that she is understood by the midwife will think that she is considered important, trusted, and appreciated. This condition will enable the midwife to reach the individual and by this way, the individual will accept the care. Using the emotional intelligence is considered a key in succeeding in professional life. In order to succeed in professional life and provide an efficient midwifery care; it is required to enable preservice midwives to become skilful at using and developing their emotional intelligence as from the beginning of the midwifery training. The development of the emotional intelligence will enhance the skills of healthcare professionals such as critical thinking, critical approaching, questioning and decision making in order to succeed in professional life.