Emotional Labour and its Outcomes Among Nurses at a Tertiary Hospital – A Proposed Model

Pooja A; Bhoomadevi A

doi:10.52756/ijerr.2023.v35spl.008

Authors

Pooja A Sri Ramachandra Faculty of Management Sciences, SRIHER (DU), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3160-3074
Bhoomadevi A Associate Professor, Amity Institute of Public Health & Hospital Administration, Amity University, Noida, U.P., India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4027-7568

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52756/ijerr.2023.v35spl.008

Keywords:

Emotional labour, Healthcare, Job Performance, Nursing, Satisfaction

Abstract

Emotional labour is a crucial aspect of nursing, involving the management of emotions to meet organizational and societal expectations. Limited research exists on understanding emotional labour and the outcomes of emotional labour among nurses, which can range from positive outcomes like job satisfaction and patient satisfaction to negative outcomes like emotional exhaustion and job exhaustion. This study aims to assess emotional labour and its outcomes among nurses. It contributes to a better understanding of its impact and informs interventions to enhance nurses' well-being and job performance. To assess the emotional labour performance among nurses, to assess the emotional conflict among nurses, to determine the positive and negative outcomes of the emotional labour performance among nurses and to propose a model for emotional labour performance in healthcare a descriptive study was conducted among a sample population of approximately 270 nurses from Sri Ramachandra Hospital G-Block (Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India). Subjects were recruited from the nursing department, and after obtaining their consent, they were given a questionnaire to collect demographic data and evaluate emotional labour and its outcomes. Additionally, direct observations using the Observed Emotion Rating Scale were conducted. The study utilized systematic random sampling. The sample size was determined to be 270 nurses, with a final response rate of 87%. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, which yielded satisfactory results. The primary data collected was analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS software with appropriate statistical tools. The findings are emotional labour performance; deep acting was more prominent than surface acting among nurses. Emotional harmony was found to be higher than emotional dissonance and emotional excess in emotional labour conflicts. Positive outcomes of emotional labour were more prevalent than negative outcomes. Deep Acting and surface acting significantly affected positive and negative outcomes. This study highlights the significance of emotional labour in nursing and its impact on nurses' well-being and job performance. By prioritizing nurses' emotional well-being and implementing interventions to mitigate the negative outcomes of emotional labour, healthcare organizations can create a supportive work environment that enhances both nurse satisfaction and patient care.

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