Emotional Intelligence level Discussion
A white paper anchored to one number: 14 out of 20 on a self-report test. Reasoning from that specific result, including what the instrument can actually tell you, is the assignment.
Editorial process
Last reviewed · August 22, 2026
Reasoning from one score, and what it can support
The score is the anchor and it should appear early, but treat it carefully, because a white paper that reports a number without saying what kind of number it is has skipped the analysis. Most brief emotional intelligence tests are self-report instruments, which measure your perception of your own abilities rather than the abilities themselves, and self-report scores correlate imperfectly with ability-based measures and with how colleagues rate you. Saying so is not undermining your own evidence; it is the sort of qualification that makes the rest of the paper credible, and it sets up a recommendation to seek multi-source feedback. It also matters practically: a leader who believes they read a room well and does not is in a worse position than one who knows the score is uncertain, because only the second will check. The number is a starting hypothesis rather than a finding.
Then use a framework so the analysis has structure. The widely used model separates self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill, and a 14 out of 20 almost certainly conceals variation across those domains, so the useful move is to ask which components your score is likely strong and weak in. Then work both directions the brief asks for. Enhancing means naming health care situations where the strength does work: delivering difficult news, managing a distressed family, holding a team together during a resuscitation, or receiving criticism from a physician without escalating. Hindering means being honest about the same domains in deficit: conflict avoided rather than resolved, feedback softened until it carries no information, decisions swayed by who is upset rather than by what is right, and the emotional labour that leads to burnout. Close with a development plan naming the domain, the method and how you would know it had changed.
Likely learning objectives
- Interpret a self-report score with its methodological limits.
- Decompose a single score using a component model.
- Connect emotional intelligence components to specific clinical leadership situations.
- Propose development with a method and a measure of change.
Assignment instructions
Read the full question
Review every instruction before using the planning guidance that follows.
Create a white paper in a 3- to 4-page Microsoft Word document that: I took an emotional intelligence test my score was 14/20. Describe how your Emotional Intelligence level can either enhance or hinder effective leadership in the health care environment
Course-wide instructions that accompany this question
You must proofread your paper. But do not strictly rely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part and you can expect your grade to suffer accordingly. Papers with numerous misspelled words and grammatical mistakes will be penalized. Read over your paper – in silence and then aloud – before handing it in and make corrections as necessary. Often it is advantageous to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Handwritten corrections are preferable to uncorrected mistakes. Use a standard 10 to 12 point (10 to 12 characters per inch) typeface. Smaller or compressed type and papers with small margins or single-spacing are hard to read. It is better to let your essay run over the recommended number of pages than to try to compress it into fewer pages. Likewise, large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and any other such attempts at “padding” to increase the length of a paper are unacceptable, wasteful of trees, and will not fool your professor. Emotional Intelligence level Discussion The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced with a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. When submitting h Emotional Intelligence level Discussionard copy, be sure to use white paper and print out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument. ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS Discussion Questions (DQ) Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words. Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source. One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words. I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses. Weekly Participation Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately. In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies. Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work). Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week. APA Format and Writing Quality Familiarize yourself with APA format and practice using it correctly. It is used for most writing assignments for your degree. Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for APA paper templates, citation examples, tips, etc. Points will be deducted for poor use of APA format or absence of APA format (if required). Cite all sources of information! When in doubt, cite the source. Paraphrasing also requires a citation. I highly recommend using the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition. Use of Direct Quotes I discourage overutilization of direct quotes in DQs and assignments at the Masters’ level and deduct points accordingly. As Masters’ level students, it is important that you be able to critically analyze and interpret information from journal articles and other resources. Simply restating someone else’s words does not demonstrate an understanding of the content or critical analysis of the content. It is best to paraphrase content and cite your source. LopesWrite Policy For assignments that need to be submitted to LopesWrite, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me. Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes. Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own? Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score. Late Policy The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies. Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances. If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect. I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension. As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading. Communication Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me: Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class. Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours. Emotional Intelligence level Discussion
Turn the brief into deliverables
- 01The score, with an account of what kind of instrument produced it.
- 02A named framework decomposing emotional intelligence into components.
- 03Situations where your level would enhance leadership.
- 04Situations where it would hinder leadership.
- 05A development plan with a method and an evaluation.
- 063 to 4 pages in white paper format.
The construct, your result, then enhance and hinder
What the score measures
Describe the instrument type and what a self-report result can support.
What the assessor is likely looking for
Self-report identified as perception rather than ability.
Breaking the score down
Use a component model to ask where the strengths and gaps sit.
What the assessor is likely looking for
Components named rather than a single global judgement.
Where it enhances leadership
Give clinical leadership situations where the strengths do work.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A situation from a health care setting rather than a generic workplace.
Where it hinders
Give the failure modes of the same components in deficit or excess.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A downside of high emotional attunement, such as emotional labour.
A development plan
Name the domain, the method and the evidence you would accept as change.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A source of feedback beyond your own self-assessment.
Where emotional intelligence and leadership evidence sits
Recommended databases
- PubMed Central
- CINAHL
- Business Source
- University Library
Search sequence
- 1.Find out what kind of instrument produced your score before interpreting it.
- 2.Read a review of emotional intelligence and nurse leadership outcomes.
- 3.Look for evidence on self-report versus ability-based measures.
- 4.Search for emotional labour and burnout in health care leadership.
Reference shortlist
These are authoritative starting points, not a ready-made bibliography. A qualified reviewer must confirm that each source fits the assignment and supports the claim beside which it is cited.
Nurse Managers' Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership: A Review of Current Evidence
The Open Nursing Journal, 12, 225-227 · 2018
Nurse managers' emotional intelligence and effective leadership, for the outcome evidence.
Emotional Intelligence in the Professional Development of Nurses: From Training to the Improvement of Healthcare Quality
Nursing Reports · 2025
Emotional intelligence in professional development, for the development plan section.
A systematic review of the relationships between nurse leaders' leadership styles and nurses' work-related well-being
International Journal of Nursing Practice · 2022
Leadership styles and nurse outcomes, for what leadership effectiveness is measured by.
Impact of Nurse Manager Leadership Styles on Work Engagement: A Systematic Literature Review
Journal of Nursing Management · 2023
Leadership style and work engagement, for the team-level consequences.
COLLABORATION WITHIN THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM
Nursing Management and Professional Concepts, NCBI Bookshelf · 2022
Interprofessional collaboration, for the situations where the components are exercised.
Before you submit this white paper
Common mistakes
- Reporting the score without questioning what a self-report measures.
- Discussing emotional intelligence in general without using the score.
- Only writing the enhancing half, which the brief does not permit.
- Treating high emotional intelligence as uniformly good for leadership.
- Ending with an intention rather than a development plan.
Submission checklist
- Is the score interpreted rather than just reported?
- Is a component framework named and used?
- Are both enhance and hinder addressed with real situations?
- Is at least one situation specific to health care?
- Does the development plan say how you would know it worked?
Use this guide to plan and review your own work. Follow your institution's rules and read Brinevia's academic-integrity policy.
Written by
Maren Caldwell
MSN, RN, CNE
Medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology and NCLEX preparation
Maren is a registered nurse with over 15 years of clinical and educational experience in medical-surgical nursing. She writes on NCLEX preparation, patient care fundamentals, pharmacology and evidence-based practice.

Reviewed by
Dr. Tessa Redmond
DNP, RN, CNE
Evidence-based practice and clinical education
Tessa is a doctorally-prepared nurse educator. She reviews Brinevia content for clinical accuracy and alignment with current evidence-based guidelines.