Emotional effort and perceived support in renal nursing: a comparative interview study

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Professionals
• Psychology

Background:

• Social support is crucial for nurses' well-being, moderating negative outcomes from emotional labor.
• Effective support strategies for renal nurses remain less understood compared to other specialties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how renal nurses, alongside emergency and palliative care nurses, manage patient emotional expressions.
• To identify patterns in nurses' own emotional expression and their support-seeking behaviors.
• To compare these patterns across different nursing specialties.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interviews were conducted with nurses from renal, emergency, and palliative care units.
• The study focused on nurses in Perth, Western Australia.
• Interviews explored emotional labor, expression, and support dynamics.

Main Results:

• Renal nurses engage in substantial emotional labor, primarily viewing coworkers as their main support source due to shared experiences and availability.
• Comparative analysis revealed renal nurses are less adept at recognizing their emotional expenditure and less confident in coworker support.
• Despite positive emotional engagement, renal nurses are less prepared for difficult emotional situations than their counterparts.

Conclusions:

• Organizations should implement targeted training for renal nurses to improve mutual support.
• Enhancing coworker support mechanisms can better equip renal nurses for emotional challenges.
• Addressing the unique emotional labor needs of renal nurses is vital for their well-being and patient care.