Emotional labor in pediatric nursing: Experience report with therapeutic instruments
Published 2025-12-04
Keywords
- Emotions, Pediatric Nursing, Emotional Labor, Clinical Apprenticeship, Advanced Nursing Practice, Experience Report.
How to Cite
Copyright (c) 2025 Rita Barros, Sofia Seabra, Paula Diogo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Children and their families experience health and illness intensified by several factors, including exposure to unfamiliar, threatening environments and disrupted routines. Given this impact, nurses should stay attuned to children’s and families’ emotional needs and facilitate the intentional management of emotions by deploying therapeutic instruments anchored in the Emotional Labor Model in Pediatric Nursing. This practice orientation aims to positively transform intense emotional situations, potentially distressing for children, families, and nurses.
This experience report examines how these instruments were deployed across three practicum settings (neonatology, pediatric emergency department, and pediatric inpatient unit) over four months in public hospitals in Lisbon and surrounding areas.
During the practicums, master’s students in child and pediatric health nursing deployed therapeutic instruments such as humor and therapeutic play, which were pivotal in reducing the negative impact of hospitalization. Additionally, we observed the applicability of the Emotional Labor Model in Pediatric Nursing and underscored its relevance as a structured framework for these instruments.