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Social/Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness, and Joy
Felicia B. Saclolo
College of Health Professions, Western Governors University
D024: Professional Presence and Influence
Deborah Dillard
July 2025
, 12
Social/Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness, and Joy
Management of Difficult Workplace Situations
Each day, nurses encounter difficult workplace situations, from a busy assignment to a
tough patient, or even scenarios involving members of their own team. The Presence and
Professional Influence course from Western Governors University discusses five social and
emotional intelligence power skills to help nurses navigate these situations, improve their
professional presence, and increase joy in the workplace.
Self-awareness
Self-awareness can be defined as “the conscious and clear perception and understanding
of one’s own personality, feelings, thoughts, emotions, beliefs, strengths, weakness, character,
desires, and motivation” (Western Governors University [WGU], n.d.). This power skill is
important in the workplace because it improves working relationships and communication,
enhances problem solving, increases feelings of confidence and fulfillment, and helps nurses
become more effective leaders in the workplace (Eurich, 2017; TEDx Talks, 2017). Nurses act as
members of multidisciplinary teams to advocate and care for their patients. Sometimes, a
member of the team may disagree with the nurse’s assessment, If the nurse is not confident in
their own skills and is unable to effectively communicate, they will be unable to successfully
advocate for their patients.
Self-management
Self-management is defined as “the ability to accept responsibility...and effectively manage
one’s own behavior” (WGU, n.d.). Nurses handle the physical care of their patients and manage
their time and care plan for the day. Daily, they face the challenging duty of juggling multiple
tasks competing for their attention. They need to use the self-management skills of self-discipline
and time management to prioritize care and avoid meaningless distractions. They also need to
Social/Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness, and Joy
Felicia B. Saclolo
College of Health Professions, Western Governors University
D024: Professional Presence and Influence
Deborah Dillard
July 2025
, 12
Social/Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness, and Joy
Management of Difficult Workplace Situations
Each day, nurses encounter difficult workplace situations, from a busy assignment to a
tough patient, or even scenarios involving members of their own team. The Presence and
Professional Influence course from Western Governors University discusses five social and
emotional intelligence power skills to help nurses navigate these situations, improve their
professional presence, and increase joy in the workplace.
Self-awareness
Self-awareness can be defined as “the conscious and clear perception and understanding
of one’s own personality, feelings, thoughts, emotions, beliefs, strengths, weakness, character,
desires, and motivation” (Western Governors University [WGU], n.d.). This power skill is
important in the workplace because it improves working relationships and communication,
enhances problem solving, increases feelings of confidence and fulfillment, and helps nurses
become more effective leaders in the workplace (Eurich, 2017; TEDx Talks, 2017). Nurses act as
members of multidisciplinary teams to advocate and care for their patients. Sometimes, a
member of the team may disagree with the nurse’s assessment, If the nurse is not confident in
their own skills and is unable to effectively communicate, they will be unable to successfully
advocate for their patients.
Self-management
Self-management is defined as “the ability to accept responsibility...and effectively manage
one’s own behavior” (WGU, n.d.). Nurses handle the physical care of their patients and manage
their time and care plan for the day. Daily, they face the challenging duty of juggling multiple
tasks competing for their attention. They need to use the self-management skills of self-discipline
and time management to prioritize care and avoid meaningless distractions. They also need to
