Soft Skills Qualities, Positive Outlook in a Challenging Workplace, and Emotional Intelligence as Predictors of Nurses’ Collaboration with Healthcare Workers and Patients

Soft skills and a positive outlook are vital for nurses in providing high-quality, patient-centered care and effectively managing the demands of tertiary healthcare settings. This study examined nurses' soft skills, their positive outlook in challenging work environments, and the relationship of these variables with selected demographic characteristics. A quantitative descriptive-correlational design was employed involving 51 nurses from a tertiary hospital. Data were gathered using a validated, researcher-developed questionnaire that assessed soft skills and positive outlook. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize respondent characteristics and study variables, while Spearman rank correlation and Chi-square tests determined relationships between demographic variables and the study outcomes at a 0.05 level of significance. Results showed that respondents strongly agreed that their educational preparation, clinical exposure, and academic experiences contributed to the development of essential soft skills, with overall mean scores ranging from 4.66 to 4.90. They also demonstrated a highly positive outlook, characterized by resilience, motivation, optimism, and effective coping, with overall means ranging from 4.51 to 4.83. No significant relationship was found between soft skills and demographic characteristics. However, age was significantly and positively associated with a positive outlook (r = 0.383, p = 0.006), whereas educational attainment, years of service, gender, and area of assignment showed no significant relationship. Overall, nurses demonstrated excellent soft skills and maintained a positive outlook despite workplace challenges. These findings emphasize the importance of competency-based education, supportive organizational cultures, resilience-building programs, ongoing professional development, and workplace wellness initiatives in sustaining quality nursing practice.