The effects of emotional labor and competency on job satisfaction in nurses of China: A nationwide cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Objectives This study aimed to explore the status of job satisfaction, emotional labour, core competencies and job stress and the associations of emotional labour and core competencies with the job satisfaction of nurses in China. Methods Data were collected by using a self-designed general information questionnaire, a job satisfaction questionnaire (McCloskey/Mueller Satisfaction Scale), a nurse emotional labour questionnaire, the Competency Inventory for Registered Nurses questionnaire, and a nurse job stressor questionnaire. A total of 13,448 nurses from 92 hospitals across mainland of China were surveyed, and 11,337 respondents (84.3% response rate) completed the questionnaires. Results The survey results indicated that Chinese nurses had average job satisfaction (24.77 ± 5.23), moderate job stress (86.84 ± 21.12), moderate to high emotional labour experiences (55.08 ± 9.63) and high competency (195.77 ± 37.61). Multiple linear regression indicated that surface acting was negatively correlated with job satisfaction ( P < 0.01), while deep acting ( P < 0.01) and nurses’ core competence ( P < 0.01) were positively associated with job satisfaction. Besides, The results also indicated job stress, geographical distribution, hospital category, gender, work shift, only children, parenting status, monthly salary, nursing experience, professional title, hospital area were the influencing factors of job satisfaction ( P < 0.05). Conclusion The improvement of the emotional labour and competency of nurses may help enhance their job satisfaction.

The relationship between emotional labour and job satisfaction in nursing

“…In this study, nurse managers had higher JS than clinical nurses. This result is similar to other studies (Suárez et al ; Wu et al ). Nurse managers have different working conditions than clinical nurses.…”

“…According to Hochschild, the management of emotions requires effort that can result in undesirable consequences, such as unpleasant employees and burnout. Other studies have shown statistically significant results in the positive direction between deep acting and JS (Chou et al ; Wu et al ). This may be because, as suggested by Dogan & Sigri (), nurses who work in an environment shaped by emotional behavioural rules likely encounter fewer problems.…”

“…Nursing is one of the professions in which EL is heavily used (Chapman 2018;Golfenshtein & Drach-Zahavy 2015). Determination of the effects of EL in nursing, and its relationship with sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, would provide important information for nurses to enhance care quality, because JS may vary according to these characteristics (Fouquereau et al 2018;Wu et al 2018).…”

“…The literature shows different results regarding the relationship between EL and JS in nursing. While many studies indicated that surface acting related negatively to JS (Chou et al ; Fouquereau et al ; Wu et al ), Pandey & Singh () found a positive relationship between them.…”

“…A similar contradiction exists in the relationship between deep acting and JS. Some researchers have found a negative relationship between deep acting and JS (Fouquereau et al ; Pandey & Singh ), while others found a positive relationship (Chou et al ; Wu et al ). Lee () indicated that neither surface acting nor deep acting have a relationship with JS.…”