The Emotional Roller Coaster
The Emotional Roller Coaster
Abstract
Three healthcare workers experience stress in their professions and make various attempts at dealing with the stress. As the case study is examined, a look is taken at how they manage their emotions under stressful situations. Also, how is the medical staff able to influence the emotions of their patients? There are also ways to minimize some of these stressors.
The Emotional Roller Coaster
Introduction
The case study looks at the emotional battle that three healthcare workers face on a daily basis when it comes to providing patient care. Working as a nurse many times involves acting strong around the family of a dying loved one even though you want to cry along with them. As a healthcare worker there have been many times when I walked out of a patient room and grabbed one of my co-workers to go into the break room to cry.
Managing Emotions The three healthcare workers in this case must practice emotional labor by displaying compassion to an ill patient or their family (McShane, Von Glinow, & Sharma, 2011, p. 161). Healthcare workers are expected to be pictures of strength to the patient and their families. When this type of emotional conflict develops between required and true emotions, the employee is practicing emotional dissonance (McShane et al., 2011, p. 163). When working as an oncology nurse caregivers felt that they have to display negative emotions less frequently, yet at the same time they frequently have to show understanding and express sympathy to the patient (Kovacs, Kovacs, & Hegedus, 2010, p. 858). The required emotional dissonance of a healthcare worker is one of the main reasons that nurses have such a high incidence of burnout. The larger the gap between the required and true emotions, the more employees tend to experience stress, job burnout and psychological separation from self (McShane et al., 2011, p. 163).
Managing Patient Emotions Exhausted, discouraged, saddened,
Abstract
Three healthcare workers experience stress in their professions and make various attempts at dealing with the stress. As the case study is examined, a look is taken at how they manage their emotions under stressful situations. Also, how is the medical staff able to influence the emotions of their patients? There are also ways to minimize some of these stressors.
The Emotional Roller Coaster
Introduction
The case study looks at the emotional battle that three healthcare workers face on a daily basis when it comes to providing patient care. Working as a nurse many times involves acting strong around the family of a dying loved one even though you want to cry along with them. As a healthcare worker there have been many times when I walked out of a patient room and grabbed one of my co-workers to go into the break room to cry.
Managing Emotions The three healthcare workers in this case must practice emotional labor by displaying compassion to an ill patient or their family (McShane, Von Glinow, & Sharma, 2011, p. 161). Healthcare workers are expected to be pictures of strength to the patient and their families. When this type of emotional conflict develops between required and true emotions, the employee is practicing emotional dissonance (McShane et al., 2011, p. 163). When working as an oncology nurse caregivers felt that they have to display negative emotions less frequently, yet at the same time they frequently have to show understanding and express sympathy to the patient (Kovacs, Kovacs, & Hegedus, 2010, p. 858). The required emotional dissonance of a healthcare worker is one of the main reasons that nurses have such a high incidence of burnout. The larger the gap between the required and true emotions, the more employees tend to experience stress, job burnout and psychological separation from self (McShane et al., 2011, p. 163).
Managing Patient Emotions Exhausted, discouraged, saddened,
References: Erickson, R. J., & Grove, W. J. (2007, October 29). Why emotions matter: Age, agitation, and burnout among registered nurses. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 13(1). doi: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol13No01PPT01 Kovacs, M., Kovacs, E., & Hegedus, K. (2010, August). Is emotional dissonance more prevalent in oncology care? Emotion work, burnout and coping. Psychooncology, 19(8), 855-862. McShane, S. L., Von Glinow, M., & Sharma, R. R. (2011). Organizational behavior: Emerging knowledge and practice for the real world (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.