Emotional intelligence is an important factor for nursing students' success and work performance. Although the level of emotional intelligence increases with age and tends to be higher in women, results of different studies on emotional intelligence in nursing students vary regarding age, study year, and gender. A longitudinal study was conducted in 2016 and 2019 among undergraduate nursing students to explore whether emotional intelligence changes over time. A total of 111 undergraduate nursing students participated in the study in the first year of their study, and 101 in the third year. Data were collected using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short Form (TEIQue-SF) and Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT). There was a significant difference in emotional intelligence between students in their first (M = 154.40; 95% CI: 101.85-193.05) and third year (M = 162.01; 95% CI: 118.65-196.00) of study using TEIQue-SF questionnaire. There was a weak correlation (r = 0.170) between emotional intelligence and age measuring using the TEIQue-SF questionnaire, and no significant correlation when measured using SSEIT (r = 0.34). We found that nursing students' emotional intelligence changes over time with years of education and age, suggesting that emotional intelligence skills can be improved. Further research is needed to determine the gendered nature of emotional intelligence in nursing students.
Keywords: SSEIT; TEIQue-SF; caring experience; emotional intelligence; nursing; students.