
Hospitals are often associated with negative emotions due to the emotionally charged nature of healthcare settings. Patients frequently express negative emotions during hospital admissions, which can impact their interactions with physicians and influence treatment plans. Similarly, healthcare professionals experience a range of emotions, including powerful negative feelings such as disgust, horror, and anger, which can affect their judgement, decision-making, and patient safety outcomes. Factors like workplace violence, burnout, and conflicts within clinical teams contribute to negative emotions among healthcare staff. While limited research exists on the specific triggers of emotions in hospitals, acknowledging the role of emotions in patient care is crucial for improving patient safety and overall well-being.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Healthcare professionals work in | Emotionally charged settings |
| Negative emotions in healthcare professionals | Impact judgement and practice |
| Healthcare professionals' previous experiences | Impact their emotional response |
| Negative emotions in patients | Impact patient safety processes |
| Positive emotions in patients | Impact patient safety processes |
| Emotions in healthcare professionals | Impact quality and safety of care |
| Workplace violence | Negative impact on patient care |
| Emotional stability in nurses | Impacts patient-reported quality of care |
| Negative emotions in healthcare professionals | Linked to greater workplace stress |
| Negative emotions in healthcare professionals | Linked to failures in cognitive performance |
| Negative emotions in healthcare professionals | Linked to poorer patient safety outcomes |
| Emotions in healthcare professionals | Impact clinical decision-making |
| Emotions in healthcare professionals | Impact responses to clinical situations |
| Emotions in healthcare professionals | Impact physician well-being |
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What You'll Learn
- Negative emotions impact the quality of care and patient safety
- Emotional instability in nurses leads to lower patient-reported quality of care
- Negative emotions can be triggered by patients, colleagues, or previous experiences
- Workplace violence and patient aggression are common triggers of negative emotions
- Moral emotions, such as disgust and contempt, can arise in ethical conflicts

Negative emotions impact the quality of care and patient safety
For example, nurses reporting lower levels of emotional stability have been linked to lower patient-reported quality of care and patient safety outcomes. Negative emotions can lead to greater workplace stress and burnout for medical staff, which has been associated with more negative safety perceptions and poorer patient safety outcomes, such as patient falls, hospital-acquired infections, and medication errors.
Additionally, healthcare professionals' emotional responses to patients can influence their decision-making and clinical judgment. Powerful negative emotions such as disgust and horror can regularly impact judgement and practice. A clinician's personal feelings towards a patient may also affect their decision-making.
Furthermore, workplace violence and patient aggression have been found to negatively impact the delivery of patient care. Healthcare staff may experience physical or verbal violence, which can trigger negative emotions and affect the quality of care they provide.
It is important to acknowledge the impact of emotions on patient safety and to address this in training and practice. Strategies to facilitate health services to understand and respond to the influence of emotion in clinical practice are essential. Healthcare providers must focus on not letting their emotional experiences negatively influence the care they deliver.
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Emotional instability in nurses leads to lower patient-reported quality of care
Emotional instability in nurses is associated with lower patient-reported quality of care. Nurses work in emotionally charged settings and experience a wide range of emotions as part of their job. These emotions can impact the quality of care they provide.
A nurse's emotional response to a patient can influence their clinical judgement and decision-making abilities. For instance, feelings of disgust or horror can affect the quality of care provided. Similarly, a healthcare professional's previous experiences and emotions associated with past patients can impact their current emotional response and clinical judgement.
Nurses with lower levels of emotional stability have been found to demonstrate lower patient-reported quality of care. A 'negative' affective style may also impact patient safety. Negative emotions can lead to greater workplace stress and maladaptive coping strategies, which in turn are linked to negative safety perceptions, failures in cognitive performance, and poorer patient safety outcomes.
Additionally, nurse burnout, a syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment, has been associated with lower healthcare quality and patient satisfaction. Job stress in nurses can negatively impact their psychological well-being, reduce work productivity, and lead to negative attitudes and behaviours towards patients.
It is important to acknowledge the role of emotions in patient care and to address the emotional triggers that healthcare professionals experience in the workplace. By understanding these factors, healthcare services can respond to the influence of emotion in clinical practice and improve the quality of care provided.
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Negative emotions can be triggered by patients, colleagues, or previous experiences
Healthcare professionals often experience a wide range of emotions in their work, and these emotions can impact the quality and safety of care they provide. Negative emotions can be triggered by various factors in the healthcare environment, including patients, colleagues, and previous experiences.
Patients can elicit negative emotions in healthcare staff through their verbal or physical expressions of distress, anger, or frustration. For example, a patient's verbal expression of negative emotion during a hospital admission encounter can impact a physician's response and the subsequent communication and treatment plan. Healthcare staff may also experience powerful negative emotions, such as disgust or horror, while attending to patients, which can influence their judgement and practice.
Colleague interactions can also trigger negative emotions. Working with hostile or friendly colleagues or experiencing conflicts within multiprofessional clinical teams can elicit feelings that affect individual and collective clinical judgments. Additionally, gender has been found to influence the type of workplace violence experienced by healthcare staff, with female staff experiencing more verbal violence and male staff experiencing more physical violence.
Previous experiences can also impact a healthcare professional's emotional response. Positive or negative emotions associated with similar past patients or confidence levels can influence their perception of the information considered important for clinical judgment. For example, a physician's previous negative encounter with a patient may lead to a less sympathetic and patient approach during a current similar case.
Furthermore, negative emotions can contribute to clinical decision-making and responses to clinical situations. A healthcare professional's emotional state, such as burnout, anxiety, or depression, can impact their cognitive performance and patient safety outcomes. Emotion regulation and empathy-related processes are essential for physician well-being and effective patient care.
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Workplace violence and patient aggression are common triggers of negative emotions
Negative emotions in hospitals are often triggered by workplace violence and patient aggression. Healthcare workers experience a range of emotions in their work, and these emotions can impact the quality and safety of care they provide. Workplace violence and patient aggression are significant contributors to negative emotions and can lead to issues such as dissatisfaction, increased caution, and disengagement with work.
Workplace violence in hospitals can take many forms, from verbal abuse to physical violence, and it is often perpetrated by patients or their families, who may be under emotional stress or dealing with challenging situations. This violence can also come from coworkers or even the organizational culture. Bullying, microaggressions, and horizontal violence (aggressive behaviors directed at coworkers) are prevalent in healthcare settings and can have a detrimental impact on staff morale and performance.
Patient aggression is a significant trigger of negative emotions among healthcare workers. Patients admitted to the emergency department, for example, may exhibit aggressive behaviors due to their problems or the stress of the situation. Additionally, factors such as short staffing, delayed care, and high-stress environments can contribute to patient aggression.
Healthcare workers who experience workplace violence and patient aggression are at risk of developing mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and burnout. These negative emotions can lead to increased disengagement from work, dissatisfaction, and even thoughts of leaving the healthcare profession.
The impact of negative emotions triggered by workplace violence and patient aggression extends beyond the individual. It can result in lower patient satisfaction and reduced patient safety. Healthcare workers may become more cautious and experience difficulties in decision-making, potentially leading to medication errors, patient infections, and other adverse outcomes.
Addressing workplace violence and patient aggression is crucial for the well-being of healthcare workers and the quality of patient care. Initiatives such as the Impact Wellbeing campaign by NIOSH aim to provide hospital leaders with solutions to foster a safe work environment and improve healthcare worker wellbeing. By recognizing and mitigating the triggers of negative emotions, hospitals can create a more positive and effective care environment.
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Moral emotions, such as disgust and contempt, can arise in ethical conflicts
Negative emotions are often associated with hospitals due to the emotionally charged nature of healthcare settings. Moral emotions, such as disgust and contempt, can arise in ethical conflicts, particularly when healthcare professionals witness inappropriate or inhumane treatment practices. These emotions can impact their judgement and clinical decision-making, potentially affecting patient safety.
Moral emotions are a fundamental aspect of human morals and play a crucial role in the caring process, especially during emergency situations. Healthcare professionals may encounter ethical dilemmas that evoke strong feelings of disgust and contempt, which are categorised as "other-condemning" emotions directed at condemning the behaviour or character of others. These emotions are triggered by the perception of violations of moral codes, such as community ethics, autonomy ethics, and divinity ethics.
Disgust, as a moral emotion, is often associated with violations of physical purity, such as food and sex taboos, or when encountering practices that are considered inhumane or violent. For example, a nurse may feel disgust if a patient is subjected to treatment that violates their bodily autonomy or infringes on cultural or religious taboos. This emotion can serve as a guardian of moral order, signalling that something is amiss.
Contempt, on the other hand, represents the negative emotion triggered by the violation of internalised norms that maintain social hierarchies and duties towards others. It is often associated with feelings of blame and disapproval towards the transgressor. In a hospital setting, contempt may arise when healthcare professionals witness practices that disregard patient dignity or violate established ethical standards of care.
The experience of disgust and contempt in ethical conflicts within hospitals can influence the behaviour and decision-making of healthcare professionals. These emotions may impact their ability to provide impartial care and potentially lead to negative safety perceptions, cognitive failures, and poorer patient outcomes. However, it is important to recognise that these emotions are complex and multifaceted, and their specific effects can vary depending on individual differences and the context in which they arise.
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Frequently asked questions
Negative emotions are associated with hospitals due to the emotionally charged nature of healthcare settings. Patients frequently express negative emotions during hospital stays and admissions, which can impact the quality and safety of their care.
Patients' negative emotions can influence the judgement and decision-making of healthcare professionals, potentially leading to rushed assessments and treatment. Additionally, it can impact the quality of patient-physician relationships and trust in the healthcare system.
Healthcare professionals experience a range of negative emotions, including disgust, horror, anger, and contempt, especially in ethically challenging situations. These emotions can impact their well-being, leading to burnout, anxiety, and depression.
Negative emotions in healthcare professionals can lead to increased workplace stress and maladaptive coping strategies. This can result in negative safety perceptions, cognitive failures, and ultimately, poorer patient safety outcomes, such as medication errors and hospital-acquired infections.
Healthcare professionals should focus on regulating their emotions and responding empathically to patients' negative emotions. Successful emotion regulation is associated with improved well-being and resilience. Additionally, ongoing research aims to inform interventions targeting emotion transfer, empathy, and emotion regulation in physicians' professional lives.
































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