This study aims to investigate the weight of surface acting (a condition in which subjects must display an emotional state that does not correspond to their real feelings) in the relationship between the emotional load of nursing work and the perception of health, and to evaluate the moderating effect of age and length of service. A moderated mediation analysis was conducted on a sample of 359 Italian nurses. The results confirmed the mediation role of surface acting and showed that both age and seniority have moderating effects so that in conditions of high emotional load, older and more experienced nurses show higher levels of surface acting, and in conditions of high surface acting, younger and less experienced nurses show lower levels of perceived health. In conclusion, surface acting seems a stressor for younger nurses, not yet used to the weight of faking emotions, while the perceived emotional load seems a stressor for older and more experienced nurses. Each result highlights the importance of providing emotional regulation skills training and support to reduce the psychological impact of emotional demands on nurses.
Keywords: age; emotional dissonance; general health; nursing; seniority; surface acting.
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