Moderating Effects of Resilience on the Relationship Between Emotional Labor and Burnout in Care Workers

The aim of the current study was to investigate the moderating effects of resilience on the relationship between emotional labor and burnout among care workers in long-term care (LTC) hospitals. Participants were 126 care workers from five different LTC hospitals in Busan, South Korea. A set of self-reported questionnaires was administered to assess general characteristics, emotional labor, resilience, and burnout of participants. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression. The final multivariate regression model was statistically significant and accounted for 36% of the variance in burnout. Emotional labor was significantly associated with burn-out (β = 0.25, p = 0.001). Resilience had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between emotional labor and burnout (β = -0.16, p = 0.033). To alleviate burnout in care workers, emotional labor should be recognized as a significant mental health problem and management interventions should be developed. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 44(10), 30-39.].