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

Background Social support is an important moderator of poor well-being outcomes for nurses engaged in emotional labour with patients; however, the most effective support for renal nurses is not well understood compared with other specialties. Objectives To identify patterns and themes in how renal nurses and two other specialties engage with patients' emotional expressions, express their own emotion and access and provide support for emotional expenditure. Method Renal, emergency and palliative care nurses from Perth, Western Australia, were interviewed. Results Renal nurses engage in significant amounts of emotional labour with patients, and identify co-workers as the most important source of support due to their availability and a sense of shared experience. However, comparative analysis showed that renal nurses do not recognise their emotional expenditure as readily and have less certainty of co-worker support. Conclusions Because their high levels of emotional engagement with patients are mostly positive, renal nurses are less prepared than other nurses to manage difficult emotional situations. As co-worker support is highly valued, organisations should train renal nurses specifically to support one another.