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Professional tears: developing emotional intelligence around death and dying in emergency work

Author

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  • Cara Bailey
  • Roger Murphy
  • Davina Porock

Abstract

Aims and objectives. This paper explores how emergency nurses manage the emotional impact of death and dying in emergency work and presents a model for developing expertise in end‐of‐life care delivery. Background. Care of the dying, the deceased and the bereaved is largely conducted by nurses and nowhere is this more demanding than at the front door of the hospital, the Emergency Department. Whilst some nurses find end‐of‐life care a rewarding aspect of their role, others avoid opportunities to develop a relationship with the dying and bereaved because of the intense and exhausting nature of the associated emotional labour. Design. Qualitative study using unstructured observations of practice and semistructured interviews. Methods. Observation was conducted in a large Emergency Department over 12 months. We also conducted 28 in‐depth interviews with emergency staff, patients with terminal illnesses and their relatives. Results. Emergency nurses develop expertise in end‐of‐life care giving by progressing through three stages of development: (1) investment of the self in the nurse–patient relationship, (2) management of emotional labour and (3) development of emotional intelligence. Barriers that prevent the transition to expertise contribute to occupational stress and can lead to burnout and withdrawal from practice. Conclusions. Despite the emotional impact of emergency deaths, nurses who invest their therapeutic self into the nurse–patient relationship are able to manage the emotional labour of caring for the dying and their relatives through the development of emotional intelligence. They find reward in end‐of‐life care that ultimately creates a more positive experience for patients and their relatives. Relevance to clinical practice. The emergency nurse caring for the dying patient is placed in a unique and privileged position to make a considerable impact on the care of the patient and the experience for their family. This model can build awareness in managing the emotive aspects involved in care delivery and develop fundamental skills of nursing patients near the end of life.

Suggested Citation

  • Cara Bailey & Roger Murphy & Davina Porock, 2011. "Professional tears: developing emotional intelligence around death and dying in emergency work," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(23‐24), pages 3364-3372, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:jocnur:v:20:y:2011:i:23-24:p:3364-3372
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2011.03860.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Amor Aradilla‐Herrero & Joaquín Tomás‐Sábado & Juana Gómez‐Benito, 2014. "Perceived emotional intelligence in nursing: psychometric properties of the Trait Meta‐Mood Scale," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 23(7-8), pages 955-966, April.
    2. Philip Clissett & Davina Porock & Rowan H Harwood & John RF Gladman, 2014. "The responses of healthcare professionals to the admission of people with cognitive impairment to acute hospital settings: an observational and interview study," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 23(13-14), pages 1820-1829, July.
    3. Ana Soto-Rubio & María del Carmen Giménez-Espert & Vicente Prado-Gascó, 2020. "Effect of Emotional Intelligence and Psychosocial Risks on Burnout, Job Satisfaction, and Nurses’ Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-14, October.
    4. Carme Berbís‐Morelló & Gerard Mora‐López & Marta Berenguer‐Poblet & Laia Raigal‐Aran & Pilar Montesó‐Curto & Carme Ferré‐Grau, 2019. "Exploring family members’ experiences during a death process in the emergency department: A grounded theory study," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(15-16), pages 2790-2800, August.
    5. María del Carmen Giménez-Espert & Sandra Maldonado & Vicente Prado-Gascó, 2023. "Influence of Emotional Skills on Attitudes towards Communication: Nursing Students vs. Nurses," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-13, March.
    6. Ruishuang Zheng & Susan Fiona Lee & Melissa Jane Bloomer, 2018. "How nurses cope with patient death: A systematic review and qualitative meta‐synthesis," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(1-2), pages 39-49, January.
    7. Behzad Imani & Sima Mohamad Khan Kermanshahi & Zohreh Vanaki & Anoshiravan Kazemnejad Lili, 2018. "Hospital nurses’ lived experiences of intelligent resilience: A phenomenological study," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(9-10), pages 2031-2040, May.
    8. María del Carmen Giménez‐Espert & Vicente Javier Prado‐Gascó, 2018. "The role of empathy and emotional intelligence in nurses’ communication attitudes using regression models and fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis models," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(13-14), pages 2661-2672, July.
    9. Montserrat Edo‐Gual & Cristina Monforte‐Royo & Amor Aradilla‐Herrero & Joaquín Tomás‐Sábado, 2015. "Death attitudes and positive coping in Spanish nursing undergraduates: a cross‐sectional and correlational study," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(17-18), pages 2429-2438, September.
    10. Donghyun Choi & Yonghwi Noh & Jin Sung Rha, 2019. "Work pressure and burnout effects on emergency room operations: a system dynamics simulation approach," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 13(3), pages 433-456, September.
    11. Cara Bailey & Alistair Hewison, 2014. "The impact of a ‘Critical Moments’ workshop on undergraduate nursing students’ attitudes to caring for patients at the end of life: an evaluation," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 23(23-24), pages 3555-3563, December.

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