Predicting nurses’ well-being from job demands and resources: a cross-sectional study of emotional labour

AIM: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of job demands and resources as well as emotional labour on job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion among nurses. BACKGROUND: While emotional labour is a construct that has considerable significance in health care as nurses often need to express organizationally desired emotions, little research has investigated the relationships between emotional labour, job demands and resources in the prediction of nurses' well-being. METHODS: The questionnaire was distributed to 450 registered nurses (RN) working in a teaching hospital in Taiwan during February 2007, of which 240 valid questionnaires were returned and analysed (53.33% response rate). In addition to descriptive statistics and correlation, structural equation modelling (LISREL 8.8) was conducted. RESULTS: The findings showed that the frequency of interacting with difficult patients positively related to surface acting. Perceived organizational support (POS) positively related to deep acting and negatively to surface acting. The results also showed that surface acting related negatively, and deep acting related positively, to job satisfaction. The frequency of interactions with difficult patients related positively to emotional exhaustion, and negatively to job satisfaction. Perceived organizational support related negatively to emotional exhaustion and positively to job satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that job demands, resources and emotional labour can predict nurses' well-being. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The results of the present study indicate that nurses' well-being can be predicted by job demands, resources and emotional labour. There is a need to address organizational support and training programmes to enhance job satisfaction and reduce emotional exhaustion among nurses.