Emotional rescue: the role of emotional intelligence and emotional labour on well‐being and job‐stress among community nurses

AIMS: To investigate the extent to which emotional labour and emotional intelligence are associated with well-being and job-stress among a group of Australian community nurses. The moderating role of emotional intelligence was evaluated as a key factor in the rescue of healthcare workers from job-stress, thus increasing job retention. BACKGROUND: Although emotional labour has been broadly investigated in the literature, the contribution of emotional labour and emotional intelligence to the well-being and experience of job-stress in a community nursing setting requires further exploration. DESIGN: This study used a cross-sectional quantitative research design with data collected from Australian community nurses. METHODS: Australian community nurses (n = 312) reported on their perceived emotional labour, emotional intelligence and their levels of well-being and job-stress using a paper and pencil survey in 2010. RESULTS/FINDINGS: Results from structural equation modelling support the hypothesis that both emotional labour and emotional intelligence have significant effects on nurses' well-being and perceived job-stress. Emotional intelligence plays a moderating role in the experience of job-stress. CONCLUSION: These findings provide additional evidence for the important effects that emotional labour and emotional intelligence can have on well-being and job-stress among community nurses. The potential benefits of emotional intelligence in the nurses' emotional work have been explored.