The relationship between nurses' emotional labor behaviors and patient satisfaction

Aim: The research was conducted in a descriptive and relationship-seeking type in order to determine the emotional labor behaviors and patient satisfaction levels of nurses and to examine the relationship between these two concepts. Material and method: The sample of the study consisted of 112 nurses working in a state hospital and 130 inpatients in the same hospital. The data were collected using the nurse Descriptive Information Form including the sociodemographic characteristics of the nurses, the Emotional Labor Behavior Scale for Nurses, the patient descriptive information form containing the sociodemographic characteristics of the patients, and the Newcastle Nursing Care Satisfaction Scale. Descriptive statistics, parametric and non-parametric tests, and Spearman's Rho Correlation test were used to evaluate the data. Results: It was determined that the mean age of the nurses participating in the study was 30.90±5.60 (years), 54.5% were female, 73.2% were undergraduate graduates, and 58.0% were married. It was determined that the mean age of the patients participating in the study was 42.08±11.49 (years), 56.2% were women, 60.0% were married and 62.3% were at the middle income level. Nurses' mean surface behavior score was 4.03±0.50, depth behavior mean score 3.91±0.44, sincere behavior mean score 3.98±0.56; The mean score of the Newcastle Nursing Care Satisfaction Scale was determined as 84.06±5.16. In the study, a negative significant relationship was found between patients' satisfaction with nursing care and nurses' emotional labor superficial sub-dimension scores, and a positive and moderately significant relationship was found between patients' satisfaction with nursing cre and in-dept and sincere behavior sub-dimension scores. Conclusion: As nurses' in-depth and sincere behaviors increase and their surface behaviors decrease, patients' satisfaction levels increase. It is recommended to plan in-service trainings to improve nurses' emotional labor behaviors and patient satisfaction levels.