Emotional intelligence throughout the lifecycle of Australian radiographers

Purpose To measure global and domain trait emotional intelligence (EI) throughout the professional lifecycle of Australian radiographers and report the trends. Methods A combination retrospective and prospective cross-sectional multiple-cohort study using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short Form (TEIQue-SF) was designed to collect global and domain trait EI scores of several populations, including radiography students (n = 95), inexperienced radiographers (0-5 years' experience; n = 94), experienced radiographers (≥ 6 years' experience; n = 451), chief radiographers (n = 107), clinical educators (n = 24), application specialists (n = 24), and radiographers working in education (n = 15). Mean EI scores were calculated and statistical tests were performed to determine whether significant differences existed among the groups. Results Statistically significant differences were found among populations for global EI and the domains of self-control and well-being, with students demonstrating consistently lower scores than qualified radiographers (P ≥ .001). Chief radiographers demonstrated higher scores for well-being than inexperienced radiographers, radiographers working in education, and students (P < .001). Global EI scores increased steadily throughout the professional lifecycle of Australian radiographers, plateauing at 10 years of clinical experience. Discussion Chief radiographers demonstrated the highest scores for well-being, which is consistent with prior research acknowledging the importance of EI in organizational leadership. Students demonstrated lower EI scores likely because they are at the beginning of their careers and might not yet perceive themselves as confident or successful. Higher EI scores are expected in normal career advancement, plateauing at about 10 years of clinical experience. Conclusion A statistically significant difference exists between global and domain trait EI scores throughout the professional lifecycle of Australian radiologic technologists. Global trait EI scores showed a marked increase after 6 years of clinical experience, indicating that clinical experience might have an effect on trait EI scores.