Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing  2017;26(2):65-73

doi:10.5807/kjohn.2017.26.2.65

Effects of Emotional Labor, Compassion Fatigue and Occupational Stress on the Somatization of Nurses in Hemodialysis Units.

EunJin RYU 1 ; So Eun CHOI

Affiliations

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Keywords

Somatoform disorders; Hemodialysis units; Compassion fatigue; Burnout; Emotional labor

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of emotional labor, compassion fatigue and occupational stress on the somatization of nurses in hemodialysis units. METHODS: The sample consisted of 139 nurses in hemodialysis units from a tertiary hospital, a general hospital, a dialysis clinic, and a care hospital in G province. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan test, Pearson's correlation and hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: There were significant correlations of the experience of emotional labor, compassion fatigue and occupational stress with the somatization of nurses in hemodialysis units. Factors influencing somatization intention were ‘emotional labor’ (β=.37, p<.001), which explained 28% of the variance (F=10.00, p<.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that the factor influencing the somatization of nurses in hemodialysis units was emotional labor. Therefore, strategies to decrease emotional labor of nurses in hemodialysis units are required.