O0433 Oct.5: 2:01pm - Characterization of Emotional Intelligence in Critical Care Providers

Background:
Pediatric critical care physicians serve as leaders in varying roles, but often with minimal dedicated leadership training. Comprehensive reviews on leadership education have found an over-emphasis on cognitive and intellectual-related leadership competencies, without enough attention to the domains of character and emotional intelligence development. Recognizing emotional intelligence as an ability, and therefore modifiable, better characterizing emotional intelligence in provider cohort may help inform targeted education to better prepare the next generation of pediatric critical care physician leaders.

Methods:
This is a single-center cross-sectional study, designed to characterize emotional intelligence in pediatric critical care physicians using a 360’ assessment tool. Pediatric critical care team members including fellows, faculty, nurse practitioners, and nurses were invited to participate. In the first project phase, physicians completed an online survey that included selected demographics, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Work and Well Being Survey (UWES), and Perceived Relational Climate Survey (p-RCS). Demographics data and means scores from UWES and p-RCS for fellow and faculty cohorts were statistically compared.

The second project phase integrated a 360’ emotional intelligence assessment tool. Access to the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI-360), was provided through a research agreement with Korn Ferry Consulting Group. Participants underwent an informed semi-random matching process such that each physician was paired with four other members of the critical care team who would be asked to complete an inventory. Participants and researchers remained blinded to all individual survey response data from the ESCI-360. Survey data will then be analyzed for variations in ESCI-360 data between fellows and faculty member cohorts according to demographics, MBTI, UWES, and p-RCS.

Results:
At the time of abstract submission, ESCI-360 data collection is ongoing with a targeted survey end date of May 1st, 2020. Results from this project will be updated before any prospective presentation.

83 individuals consented to participation including 28 faculty members, 19 critical care fellows, 9 nurse practitioners, and 27 nurses. Comparison between critical care fellows and faculty members demonstrates no statistical difference in the distribution of additional professional degrees, MBTI sub-types, UWES scores, or p-RCS scores except for Masters of Science in Clinical Epidemiology which included 6 faculty members and no fellows.

Conclusions:
Characterization of emotional intelligence in critical care providers was accepted as an important and valuable scholarly project, exemplified by a large number of voluntary multi-disciplinary participants. The lack of statistical difference between fellows and faculty members across MBTI sub-types, UWES scores, and p-RCS scores may suggest that any observable differences in emotional intelligence are less likely to be due to personality traits, individual engagement in the workplace, or perception of the workplace environment.