Emotional Labour among Professional Nurses Working in Community Hospitals

Abstract

        Nurses should be encouraged to understand and learn to manage their emotions, which connect between people and society effectively. This study aimed to examine emotional labour and emotional management methods of professional nurses working in community hospitals. This qualitative research used ethnomethodological approach. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews and unstructured observations. 16 professional nurses were conducted by purposive sampling. Data were analysed by thematic analysis approach.
        The findings illustrated that emotional labor actually happened and became an important part of working life. Participants always used surface acting and deep acting for manage their feelings and emotions depending on personal experience. 3 themes emerged as follows: Emotional labour as a commitment, emotional labor as a mental conditioning process, and emotional labor means responsibility for happiness and expectations of others. This research underscores the importance of emotional labour that occurs while performing tasks which cannot be avoided and ignored. Emotional labour is combined with physical and intellectual labor in order to achieve quality work. The concept of emotional labour can be applied to enhance the mental health in professional nurses.