Emotional intelligence in military medical officers in the Defence Medical Services

Abstract: Emotional intelligence (EI) is a concept describing an individual’s ability to understand, process and act accordingly on others’ and one’s own emotions. It is a desirable quality for people working in teams and is beneficial to the individual in many ways. It is increasingly recognised that understanding and developing EI are important to working in the healthcare environment. It becomes especially pertinent in the deployed Defence Medical Services (DMS), where clinicians often fulfil a significant leadership role in a small team.