The relationship between emotional labor level and moral distress

Abstract

Background The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has implications for health professionals. Aim The aim of this study was to explain the relationship between emotional labor levels and moral distress in health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique. Research design A descriptive and cross-sectional study was adopted. Participants and research context Data were collected between 7 February and 7 March 2021. 302 health professionals who were not on leave (annual leave, sick leave, prenatal and postnatal leave, etc.) at the time of the research and who volunteered to participate in the research were included. Research data were collected using a “Personal Information Form,” the “Emotional Labor Scale” and the “Moral Distress Thermometer.” Ethical considerations The Ethics Committee approved the study (dated 07.01.2021 and numbered 2021/1-3). The participants were informed of the study aim and written consent was obtained before completing the survey. Findings In the present study, the mediator role of emotional labor in the effect of providing service to a patient with COVID-19 and having had COVID-19 on moral distress was examined in health professionals and it was found that there was a correlation between providing service to a patient with COVID-19 and moral distress regardless of whether or not emotional labor had a role in this relationship. Conclusion In this study, the relationship between the level of emotional labor and moral distress in health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic was evaluated with a structural equation model.

The effect of perceived organizational justice on workplace deviant behavior of new nurses: the role of emotional labor and psychological capital

“…Emotional labor has attracted more and more attention among scholars [29,30]. Emotional labor refers to that nurses can reasonably adjust and express their internal and external emotions according to the requirements of their work roles when facing patients [31].…”

“…When nurses experience less sense of justice in the organization, they will adopt emotional labor strategies to cope. Emotional labor, as a new form of labor after physical strength and intelligence [30], is a source of stress. According to the spiral principle of resource loss in the conservation of resources theory, emotional labor constantly consumes psychological resources and thus produces emotional exhaustion [34], reduces the happiness of work [35], and affects work behavior and work state [36].…”

Emotional burden in social professions and its implications – presentation of own research results against a literature review

“…Moral suffering caused by the lack of sufficient help for all those in need became an additional source of emotional burden. There was a growing sense of false contact (Iskender et al, 2023). The requirements of the work environment in social professions with respect to interpersonal communication and the management of emotional processes are defined by the term of emotional labour (EL).…”