Abstract

Healthcare professionals encounter a variety of emotion-laden events involving ethical implications and choices. These events may trigger deeply felt negative emotions, which can limit an individual’s ability to make ethical decisions, and result in emotional labor. The topic of emotional labor, though studied extensively with customer service workers, has recently been investigated with regard to healthcare professionals, including nurses, clinical psychologists, and physicians. Studies focused on these populations have revealed widespread instances of emotional labor, commonly accompanied by various negative physical and psychological health consequences. Accordingly, emotion regulation strategies are important to explore in order to counteract the negative health outcomes. Recommendations for ways to cope with emotional demands for healthcare employees are provided.