The Correlations of the Sense of Authenticity and Emotional Labor with the Professional Identity of Nurses

Abstract

Purpose: We examined the correlations of the sense of authenticity and emotional labor with the professional identity of nurses.
Methods: We conducted a questionnaire-based survey of nurses with more than 2 years of experience in special functioning or regional medical-care support hospitals.
Results: Emotional labor by surface acting exerted a negative impact on the professional identity of nurses, whereas that by deep acting had a positive effect. Furthermore, the sense of authenticity positively influenced deep acting and the professional identity of nurses.
Conclusions: Emotional labor has ambiguous effects on the professional identity of nurses, whereas the sense of authenticity indirectly influences the professional identity of nurses and emotional labor associated with deep acting.