The Level and Outcomes of Emotional Labor in Nurses: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Aims: This scoping review aims to examine the level and outcomes of emotional labor in nurses.

Background: Nursing is a highly emotional profession that requires nurses to experience a wide range of emotions and control their emotional expressions in nursing practice. Chronic emotional labor and emotional burden not only impact nurses’ individual well-being and professional performance but also their job satisfaction and turnover intention.

Evaluation: This scoping review was guided by a five-stage scoping review framework and the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Eight databases were searched and 41 studies were reviewed.

Key Issues: The Emotional Labor Scale and the Emotional Labor Scale for Nurses were the most commonly used instruments. Significant associations were found between emotional labor and 52 outcomes, which were categorized into two main themes: nurses’ personal well-being and organizational well-being. There were 19 mediators and 12 moderators between nurses’ emotional labor and 26 different outcomes.

Conclusions: While the level of emotional labor among nurses remains uncertain, its consequences are plentiful and intricate. Studies have shown an important relationship between nurses’ emotional labor and individual and organizational well-being, which is crucial for nurse managers. There is a need to explore the positive effects of nurses’ emotional labor and its impact on patients. Additionally, validation studies of the instruments used to measure nurses’ emotional labor are necessary.

Implications for Nursing Management: The insights gained from this scoping review provided a more comprehensive understanding of emotional labor for nurse managers. This knowledge can be utilized to design training programs on emotional management and to explore different interventions aimed at alleviating the adverse impacts of nurses’ emotional labor.