Background: This article aims to describe the content and the psychometric properties of emotional intelligence instruments used in health care education and to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and study success. Method: Six electronic databases were searched in spring 2020. Two researchers participated in the selection and quality assessment of the articles. Ultimately, 26 articles were included in the review. Results: From the included articles, 18 emotional intelligence instruments were identified. The content of the instruments focused on perception of emotions, understanding of emotions, emotional expression, managing emotions, using emotions, and social awareness and relations. In most of the studies, emotional intelligence was related to study success. Conclusion: The assessment of several important components of emotional intelligence was identified. Comprehensive assessment using the emotional intelligence total score seemed to be the best predictor of study success. [ J Nurs Educ . 2022;61(1):6–11.]

Background: Effective student selection methods are needed to identify applicants who are expected to complete their studies and succeed professionally. The assessment of emotional intelligence has recently been identified as an important element of student selection for nursing studies. Purpose: This small-scale study, conducted in Finland, sought to capture the content of emotional intelligence that is considered relevant to social care and healthcare student selection from the perspectives of social care and healthcare educators and professionals. Methods: Five semi-structured focus group interviews (n = 30) were conducted with the educators and professionals. The data were analysed qualitatively using both deductive and inductive content analyses. Findings: The analysis of the data identified participants' perspectives on: perception of emotions, understanding emotions, accepting emotions, emotional management, emotional expression, utilising emotions and emotional awareness in social contexts. The participating educators and professionals indicated that applicants should demonstrate basic abilities across all these aspects of emotional intelligence in order to cope with the demands of social care and healthcare studies. Conclusions: Findings support the notion of the comprehensive assessment of emotional intelligence in student selection contexts. By ascertaining whether students have adequate basic emotional intelligence abilities, the risk of emotional exhaustion during clinical practice could be reduced; higher education institutions may better be able to select applicants who are likely to complete their studies and who are willing and able to work as social care and healthcare professionals.

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Aim To develop an emotional intelligence (EI) test and evaluate its psychometrics for social and healthcare student selection. Design A cross‐sectional methodological design. Methods The test was developed based on a systematic review and focus group interviews. Content validity was evaluated with expert panels, and preliminary psychometrics with two pilot studies. Descriptive statistics, correlations and item response theory were used. Data Sources Search was conducted in six databases 2018. Focus group interviews were conducted with educators and professionals in 2019. Expert panels with doctoral students, researchers and educators were conducted in 2020. Pilot tests with students were conducted 2020–2021. The developed test was administered to 4808 applicants 2021. Results The test included four subscales. Correlations support the test's theoretical structure. The items were mainly easy. Conclusion The test assesses EI objectively and comprehensively. The item‐level distractor analysis can be used for further test development. Impacts Social care and healthcare students engage in clinical practice early in their studies, and these environments can be emotionally challenging. Assessing EI in student selection with adequate test can help the institutions of higher education to select the students with required abilities to succeed in the studies. The assessment of EI during student selection also provides information higher education institutions could use to develop and provide support interventions. The results may also encourage practice placements to include EI elements as learning objective. The results of this study and especially the use of IRT and detailed distractor analysis to evaluate the psychometric properties of EMI‐T can benefit researchers and educators that develop or evaluate objective assessment tools with multiple choice questions. Implications for the profession and/or patient care Emotional intelligence is important for students to enable professional interaction.