Background: Critical thinking skills are one of the most important competencies in successful clinical performance of nursing students. Emotional intelligence is also one of the concepts related to critical thinking and can play an important role in the ability to think. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and critical thinking in nursing students. Methods: This was a quantitative, descriptive-correlative Study. Participants were nursing students in different levels. To collect data, California Critical Thinking Test (form B) and Bar-On Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire were used. Then, data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS 16 software. Results: Pearson correlation test showed no significant correlation between the total score of critical thinking skills and each of its components with the total score of emotional intelligence and its component, except for empathy (p=0.001), in nursing students. Conclusion: The findings revealed a significant relationship between empathy and critical thinking skills in nursing students. Using these elements as teaching techniques for nursing education courses can be very helpful in developing good nurse-patient relationships and improving patient care.
Keywords: Critical Thinking; Emotional Intelligence; Iran; Nursing Students.