Abstract
Background and aims: This study aimed to design an emotional labor model for nurses in the Deputy of Treatment of Shahrekord. Methods: The research strategy was descriptive phenomenology based on the Colaizzi approach, and the participants were nurses from the Deputy of Treatment of Shahrekord. Purposeful sampling was conducted until theoretical saturation was reached, involving 14 participants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with nurses regarding their lived experiences of emotional labor and were analyzed using the Colaizzi phenomenological method. The validity and reliability of the data were confirmed through the four criteria of credibility, confirmability, dependability, and transferability as proposed by Lincoln and Guba. Results: The analysis and coding of the data resulted in the identification of concepts in two main dimensions: the intrinsic factors of nurses’ emotional labor (62 initial themes, 12 sub-themes, 4 main themes) and the interactional factors of nurses’ emotional labor (73 initial themes, 13 sub-themes, 4 main themes). Conclusion: The findings indicated that nurses’ emotional labor is not only influenced by their personal and intrinsic characteristics but also significantly affected by the quality of human interactions and emotional expression in their communication and relationship with patients. The proposed model, based on these two categories of factors, provides a practical framework for health managers and policymakers to enhance the quality of nursing services and improve nurses’ work experiences.