Transcript Emotions Induce Healthy & Unhealthy Mental Health

Rethinking: Applying Emotional
Intelligence based on Buddhist
Perspective to Promote Nursing
Competency
Chantrarat Vongareesawat
RN., MSN., PhD. in Nursing
Lecturer at Psychiatric Nursing Department,
Kuakarun Faculty of Nursing,
Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok,
Thailand
Email: [email protected]
Scopes of presentation
What is Emotional Intelligence (EI) based on
Buddhist Perspective?
 How does the importance of Emotional
Intelligence in promoting nursing competency
among nursing students?
 How to cultivate EI based on Buddhist
Perspective among nursing students?

Overview of Emotional Intelligence
Definition (Western psychological perspective)

EI refers to the interplay and cooperation
between intelligence and emotions (Mayer, Salovey,
& Caruso, 2004).

EI refers to the ability of humans to understand
and act wisely in human relationships (Cherniss &
Goleman, 2000).
Overview of EI (continued)

Three major conceptual models of EI in the
Western context:
(1) the Salovey-Mayer model
(2) the Goleman model
(3) the Bar-On model
There are coincided points of EI concepts and
the programs among the Western researchers.
 Self-awareness OR self-understanding is a
cornerstone of EI.

EI based on Buddhist Perspective
Definition of EI based on Buddhist Perspective


EI based on the Theravāda Buddhist perspective,
refers to the result of human action controlled by
wisdom (Venerable Dr. Phra Dhammapitaka, 2000)
EI person refers to a person who has and uses a
wise mind to manage their emotions in oneself
with wise decision making and good performance
in thought, action, and speech with mindfulness
of self and others. (Phra Rajavaramuni, 1999)
EI based on Buddhist Perspective (cont.)

EI is a process of using bare attention to the
external stimuli that arise through the six sense
organs, namely the eyes, the ears, the nose, the
tongue, the body, and the mind. (Disayavanish, 2006)

The persons with EI can acknowledge their own
emotions, feelings, needs, thought, and
imagination of oneself and others. In addition, EI
persons can effectively control and manage their
emotions through the development of mindfulness
(sati) and clear comprehension (sampajañña).
(Disayavanish, 2006)
EI based on Buddhist Perspective (cont.)

EI refers to a personal ability to having the
desirable behaviors in three main concepts: virtue,
competence, and happiness. (The Department of Mental Health,
Ministry of Public Health in Thailand, 2000)



“Virtue” refers to a personal ability to having selfawareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social
responsibility.
“Competence” refers to a personal ability to knowing
oneself and self-motivation, having decision making and
problem solving, and creating interpersonal relations.
“Happiness” refers to a personal ability to living with
self-esteem, life satisfaction, and happiness mind.
People with EI are able to manage their own
emotions, empathize with other feelings, handle
interpersonal relationships, & direct themselves
for career’s success.
 To improve self-awareness at the primary step for
further reproduction of other EI competency is
recommended, especially among nursing students,
faculty members, as well as nursing profession.

The importance of EI for nursing students

Nursing is one of stressful occupations. (Pore, Barriball,
Fitzpatrick, & Roberts, 2011).

Nursing students appear to experience emotional
distress (Rosenberg & Gallo-Silver, 2011) , emotional discomfort,
when interact with mental illness patients and have a
negative attitude towards them. (Heijden, Bijl, Latour, Hoekstra, &
Meijel, 2012).

Persons with high EI will have low emotional distress
and have high self-awareness & good nursing
performance (Beauvais, Brady, O'Shea, & Griffin, 2011; Pore, Barriball,
Fitzpatrick, & Roberts, 2011; Vongareesawat, Thapinta, Disayavanish, Anders, &
Tungpunkom, 2012).
EI nursing students have ability to be able to:






Having a positive attitude towards clients
Performing a better nursing practice with clients
Having strong inner intention to practice selfdevelopment
Being flexible & can accept with unpleasant things or
unexpected situation
Displaying empathetic understanding with clients more
than have emotional distress
Having less stress & be happy on their practicing in
clinical setting.

The optimal goals of a clinical teaching for nursing
students are to foster the nurse-patient relationship,
to comfort themselves with self-aware mindfulness,
to show empathy with mutual respect, to provide
encouragement with therapeutic communication
techniques, and to remain comfortable their own
emotions with a healthy mind (Rosenberg, & Gallo-Silver,
2011).
How to cultivate EI based on Buddhist Perspective
among nursing students?

Using a reflective learning experience, a supportive
supervision, a mentorship, a role-modeling, and a
positive feedback from faculty are a way to improve EI.

The way to develop a higher wisdom is a practicing of
insight meditation based on the Four Foundations of
Mindfulness (Satipaṭṭhāna). (Phra Rajavaramuni, 1999)

The Threefold Training (Tisikkhā) is a process of
mind development which consists of three
inseparable trainings:
(1) training in higher morality
(2) training in higher mentality
(3) training in higher wisdom
The application of the four essential Efforts (Right
Effort) among faculty members and nursing
students should be
promoted for maintaining their EI.
 The Right Efforts composes of
(1) the effort to prevent
(2) the effort to overcome
(3) the effort to develop
(4) the effort to maintain

Figure1 (Reference: Vongareesawat, Thapinta, Disayavanish, Anders, & Tungpunkom, (2012)
The Threefold Training (Ti-Sikkhā)
Training in
higher Morality
Observing
Five Precepts
Controlling External
Active Defilements
[Immoral Bodily &
Verbal Actions]
Training in
higher Mentality
Practicing
Concentration
Meditation
Training in higher
Wisdom
Practicing Insight
Meditation
Decreasing,
Temporary removal
from Greed, Anger, and
Delusion
Temporary
removal from Five
Hindrances
To increase mindfulness & clear comprehension in order to enhance EI
and establish wholesomeness of bodily-verbal-mental actions.
Virtue
Competence
Happiness
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Figure 1 Function of the Mind
External sense-objects
Consciousness or
sense-awareness
(viññāṇa -khandha)
Internal senses-fields
Contact (Phassa)
Feelings /sense impression (vedanā):
Pleasant feeling (sukha-vedanā)
greed (lobha)
Unpleasant feeling (dukkha- vedanā)
anger (dosa)
Neutral feeling (upekkhā- vedanā)
delusion (moha)
Unmindful Mind
Greed, Anger, Delusion
Unwholesome Actions
Mindful Mind
No greed, No anger, No delusion
Wholesome Actions
Figure1 (Reference: Vongareesawat, Thapinta, Disayavanish, Anders, & Tungpunkom, (2012)
Figure 2 Practicing Insight Meditation based on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness
Insight Meditation based on
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness
(Satipatthāna-sutta)
Contemplation of
the Body
(Kāyanupassana
Satipaṭṭhāna)
Contemplation of
Feelings
(Vedanānupassana
Satipaṭṭhāna)
Contemplation of
the Mind
(Cittanupassana
Satipaṭṭhāna)
Be mindful as regards:
-Four main postures:
sitting, standing,
walking, and lying
-Full attention to
minor postures i.e.
eating, drinking.
-The air-element by
labeling the movement
of abdomen while
breathing.
Be mindful as
regards:
-Pleasant feelings
-Unpleasant
feelings
-Indifferent
feelings
Be mindful as regards
mental conditions
by making a mental
note i.e. thinking,
planning, imagining,
etc.
Contemplation of
Mental-objects
(Dhammanupassana
Satipaṭṭhāna)
Be mindful as regards
the contents of
thought in Dhamma
teachings:
- Five Hindrances
(Nῑvaraṇa),
- Five Aggregates
(Pañca-khandha)
- The Twelve Sense
Based (Āyatana)
Reference: Vongareesawat, Thapinta, Disayavanish, Anders, & Tungpunkom, (2012)
Thank you very much
for your kindly attention