How do nurses deal with their emotions on a burn unit? Hermeneutic inquiry.
Burn unit nurses work in an emotionally exhausting environment and are frequently exposed to emotional trauma. Emotion is a difficult concept to define. This study used a hermeneutic-phenomenological approach to establish the experiences of nurses working on a burn unit to find out how they deal with their emotions. The findings suggest that nurses have little or no time to deal with their emotional experiences. This study has shown that current support services might be ineffective. Nurses realize that they have emotions. They also recognize the need to address these emotions. Recommendations for nursing practice are made as a result of these findings.
Cronin
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Department of Nursing Studies, University College Cork, National University of Ireland, Republic of Ireland. camille.cronin@ucc.i.e
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002053:Burn Units; D004644:Emotions; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D006113:United Kingdom