We manage our emotions according to the conditions surrounding us. Being a nurse in today's world can be emotionally taxing. The cause and effect can be seen within the hospitals. Nurses strive to transform the nurse-patient relationship with a holistic approach which includes the body and mind. It's not only face to face or voice to voice. The role of the nurse is provide a language and meaning to the care provided which ultimately links emotions, feelings, and caring. Society would argue that in order to have a positive hospital involved experience, the nurse presenting or providing the service must appear optimistic or have a positive attitude, along with having the skills and knowledge to accomplish the work to be done. This paper argues that nursing work is emotionally complex and may be better understood by utilizing Hochschild's (1983) concept of "emotional labour." It examines the relationship between emotional labor, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment from the perspective of nursing staff.
Nurses in today's world are expected to not only demonstrate their competence, but show it from the inside out. Displaying compassion and empathy is a fundamental requirement in nursing and is valued by patients and their families. They are to set aside their own personal feelings and provide the patient with a safe nurturing environment. Emotional styles affect patients' perceptions of the quality of care. If the nurse allows her feelings to come to the surface, the outcome could be devastating to not only the patient, but the nurse and hospital as well. A nurse that is calm and willing to listen provides a patient who is nervous and has multiple questions prior to surgery to feel safe and trusting. If the nurse however is angry about her patient care assignment and demonstrates it with the look of anger and stress on her face and the inability to listen, then a patient would be less likely to feel a connection and perhaps fear more of the unknown.
