Emotional Intelligence:An Impactful Yet Often Overlooked Skill That Can Enhance Physician Well-being and Professional Satisfaction

Initially, you feel empowered and satisfied, having voiced your annoyance and displeasure. "My time is valuable, and this is not even my patient or my responsibility," you think to yourself. However, after a minute, you begin to reflect. What might the nurse who witnessed your behavior think of your actions? What is the emotional wake that you have just left behind? Did your frustration push you to behave in a way that did not reflect the best version of yourself? Will your current mindset affect your ability to properly care for this patient? You further reflect; maybe if I had paused, taken a deep breath, and analyzed how and why I was feeling that way, I could have managed and expressed my response more effectively. You also realize that you have to do some damage control because these types of "reactions" will not help you accomplish your goals of creating a team approach in your department or encourage staff to go above and beyond for patient care given the example you have just set.