Investigation into nurses’ emotion regulation while causing pain to adult patients during burns dressing changes: a qualitative study

Abstract

BackgroundBurns can cause patients significant pain at the time of injury and during subsequent treatment. Other people’s pain often elicits empathic responses in observers. However, effective emotion regulation strategies are needed to manage personal distress, which may otherwise inhibit helping behaviour. MethodsThis study used an interpretative qualitative approach to conduct semi-structured interviews with burns nurses. Interviews explored emotion regulation strategies used by nurses whilst causing pain to adult patients during burns dressing changes. Transcripts were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s six stages of thematic analysis. ResultsEight burns nurses participated in the interviews. Thematic analysis developed five themes: Emotions get in the way of being a good nurse; Pain’s an inevitable and justifiable part of treatment and healing; If I’m not made aware of the pain, maybe there is no pain; The pain’s due to other factors, not my actions; and Sometimes it’s too much. ConclusionBurns nurses’ attempts at regulating their emotions were influenced by their beliefs about what makes a ‘good’ nurse. Gross’s model of emotion regulation provides a useful framework for understanding these strategies, but further research is needed into the helpfulness of them for nurses and patients.