Teaching Emotional Intelligence in Physician Assistant Educators.

Abstract

Physician assistants (PAs) play a vital role in the healthcare model. Many emotional intelligence (EI) traits contribute to improved patient care. This study explored EI in PA Program roles using a survey assessing EI traits in PA faculty by teaching duration, academic degree, tenure, and leadership appointments. The 136 PA educators completed the Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SREIT). A statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) was found between the known average SREIT score and the average score of the surveyed PA educators; a correlation between leadership training and PA leadership appointments, p < 0.001; a correlation between leadership training and degree level, p < 0.05; and a difference between SREIT scores and education levels, p < 0.05, suggesting that PA educators have higher than average SREIT scores, different SREIT scores based on their degree level, and a significant difference between achieved degrees. The practical value of this study is the knowledge of EI skills and their importance in PA educational leadership. This insight could improve educational approaches within PA programs in hiring and improving graduates' skills upon completion. Programs can foster EI training in faculty. Further study can be directed to the many academic fields of medicine. As healthcare positions have different patient care roles, EI traits can improve patient education, communication, and team interaction skills.