The Important Role Emotional Intelligence Plays in Patient Care

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Take-Home Points

• The three pillars of emotional intelligence are communication, appreciation, and empathy.
• EQ can be learned and strengthened with practice.
• The most important part of communication is listening.
• Pay attention to visual cues during face-to-face conversation.
• Do your best to speak in a neutral tone of voice.
• Don’t miss an opportunity to compliment your staff and colleagues on their work.

Duck vs. Rabbit

Some people look at this image and see a duck, while others see a rabbit. According to Dr. Friedman, a person can have an earnest conversation with someone else in which one person only sees the metaphorical duck and the other only sees the metaphorical rabbit.

“You can have a complete misunderstanding and interpret it that the person is a jerk and it’s a conspiracy,” she said. “But you can honestly not be hearing that conversation the same way.”—RB