Job resources and recovery experiences to face difficulties in emotion regulation at work:A diary study among nurses

The present study examines the role of daily difficulties in emotion regulation at work in nurse’s daily well-being and how certain job resources and recovery experiences influence this relationship. We hypothesized that daily difficulties to regulate emotions at work would be significantly and positively related to emotional exhaustion at work in the afternoon, and to fatigue and negative affect at home at night. Moreover, we hypothesized that coworker and supervisor support and psychological detachment and relaxation would buffer the negative impact of these difficulties on the outcomes. Nurses (N = 74) from various Spanish hospitals and primary health care centers completed a general questionnaire and a diary booklet over 5 consecutive workdays at 2 different moments, after work and at night (N = 370 observations). The results of multilevel analyses showed that nurses’ daily difficulties in emotion regulation have a direct effect on daily emotional exhaustion at work, and on fatigue and negative affect at home at night. We also found that coworker support, psychological detachment and relaxation minimize the unfavorable effects on well-being of difficulties in emotion regulation. Limitations and implications for nursing and other health occupations are mentioned

Positive benefits from caring on nurses' motivation and well-being : a diary study about the role of emotional regulation abilities at work

Background Recent research reveals that not all job demands have negative effects on workers’ well-being and suggests that the negative or positive effects of specific job demands depend on the occupational sector. Specifically, emotional job demands form the heart of the work for nurses and for this reason they can be interpreted by nurses as a challenge that promotes motivation and well-being among these professionals, especially if personal and job resources become available. Objectives The study had two objectives. First, to examine whether daily emotional demands within a nursing work context have a positive effect on nurses’ daily motivation at work (vigour) and well-being at home (vitality and positive affect). Second, to explore whether this positive effect could be enhanced by nurses’ emotional regulation abilities. Design This research used a diary design to explore daily experiences and to analyze how variations in specific job or personal characteristics can affect levels of motivation and well-being across days. Participants Fifty three nurses working in different Spanish hospitals and primary health care centres completed a general questionnaire and a diary booklet over 5 consecutive working days in two different moments, after work and at night (N = 53 participants and N = 265 observations). Results In line with our hypotheses, multi-level analyses revealed that, on the one hand, day-level emotional demands at work had a positive effect on vigour at work and on vitality at home. On the other hand, analyses showed that nurses with higher emotional regulation abilities have more motivation at work and well-being at home when they have to face high emotional demands at work, showing a spill over effect after work. Conclusions These findings support the idea that emotional demands from the nursing profession can act as challenges which promote motivation and well-being, especially if internal emotional resources become available

The Moderator Role of Passion for Work in the Association between Work Stressors and Secondary Traumatic Stress: A Cross‐Level Diary Study among Health Professionals of Intensive Care Units

Background Secondary traumatic stress (STS), a construct formed by compassion fatigue, shattered assumptions, and symptomatology, has been scarcely studied in intensive care units (ICU). In these units, healthcare workers encounter daily work stressors which impact on their health and well-being. Also, previous literature revealed a passion for caring among these workers, finding two types: harmonious passion, which may protect them against negative outcomes, and obsessive passion, which may boost negative consequences. We aim to study whether both types of passion could moderate the relationships between daily work stressors and STS. Methods In all, 265 assessments were collected at ICUs from different hospitals in Spain through a diary approach (53 health workers × 5 days at two time points per day). Results First, daily work stressors were positive predictors of symptomatology; secondly, dispositional harmonious passion was a negative predictor of both compassion fatigue and shattered assumptions, also presenting a buffering effect between daily work stressors and daily shattered assumptions. Finally, dispositional obsessive passion showed positive relationships with both shattered assumptions and symptomatology, also presenting a boosting effect between daily work stressors and daily symptomatology. Conclusions This study allows us to deepen our understanding of STS in ICUs and to boost preventive proposals. Practical implications are discussed.pre-print389 K