간호⋅간병통합서비스 병동 간호사의 감정노동 파악 및 개선방안: 초점집단인터뷰 적용

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of emotional labor of nursing personnel working in comprehensive nursing service ward and to suggest the way service improvement can be achieved. Methods: A total of 28 nurses working in comprehensive nursing service ward were divided into four groups to conduct focus group interview. All interviews were recorded and transcribed after the interview to perform data analysis in the order of data classification, topic categorization, and keyword derivation. Results: The five categories of subjects and relating keywords drawn from the focus group interviews are as follows: 1) Emotional labor experience: suppressing emotions, expressing emotions or actions that are different from reality, 2) Situations of emotional labor: verbal abuse and assault, sexual harassment, personal needs and errands, 3) Responses to emotional labor: responding directly, responding directly, receiving senior’s help, using the organizational system, persevering, 4) Problems caused by emotional labor: work exhaustion, job change intention, job stress, 5) Protection plan against emotional labor: manual or education for nurses, education for patients and carers, compensation, tough sanctions though system strengthening. Conclusion: This study shows that although nurses working in comprehensive nursing service ward generally experience high levels of emotional labor, the problem solving of them relies mainly on personal response. Therefore, it is necessary to develop various measures to protect nurses in an organizational level response, thus to improve the comprehensive nursing service system.