ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of emotional labor, compassion fatigue and occupational stress on the somatization of nurses in hemodialysis units. METHODS: The sample consisted of 139 nurses in hemodialysis units from a tertiary hospital, a general hospital, a dialysis clinic, and a care hospital in G province. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan test, Pearson's correlation and hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: There were significant correlations of the experience of emotional labor, compassion fatigue and occupational stress with the somatization of nurses in hemodialysis units. Factors influencing somatization intention were ‘emotional labor’ (β=.37, p<.001), which explained 28% of the variance (F=10.00, p<.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that the factor influencing the somatization of nurses in hemodialysis units was emotional labor. Therefore, strategies to decrease emotional labor of nurses in hemodialysis units are required.