Continuities in caring? Emotion work in a NHS Direct call centre

Waddington, K. and Weir, H. 2008. Continuities in caring? Emotion work in a NHS Direct call centre. Nursing Inquiry. 16 (1), pp. 67-77. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1800.2008.00391.x

TitleContinuities in caring? Emotion work in a NHS Direct call centre
AuthorsWaddington, K. and Weir, H.
Abstract

Changes in technological and economic aspects of society have impacted on how we understand professional and client relationships. These relationships are constructed in terms of patients/users requiring care, and customers whose complaints have become a yardstick of satisfaction. A consequence of these changes is an interest in the related concepts of emotional labour and emotion work. For nurses, caring for people in illness and in health is central to their work, and it is this aspect of emotion at work that distinguishes nursing from other occupational groups. This paper is concerned with emotion work in a National Health Service Direct (NHS Direct) call centre in the United Kingdom. Drawing upon theoretical perspectives from organizational psychology and sociology it focuses upon the social processes that narrate emotion events in a specific context. It is based on a qualitative study exploring the experience and emotion work of nurses working in a call centre. Issues in caring without the face-to-face contact using communication technology were crucial to the way nurses perceived their work. These factors contributed to nurses’ orientation to work and to the way that conflict and dissonance with expectations of callers and managers impacted on nurses’ emotion work.

Keywordscall centre, emotion work, NHS Direct, nursing.
JournalNursing Inquiry
Journal citation16 (1), pp. 67-77
ISSN1320-7881
Year2008
PublisherWiley
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1800.2008.00391.x
Publication dates
Published06 Feb 2008

Related outputs

Voices from the Field
Waddington, K. 2024. Voices from the Field. International Journal for Students as Partners. 8 (2), pp. 9-10.

Gossip as a Way of Knowing: Reply to Review by Adkins
Waddington, K. and Topping, A.E. 2024. Gossip as a Way of Knowing: Reply to Review by Adkins . Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective. 13 (8), pp. 38-50.

Compassion in higher education: Fashion or future for relational pedagogies?
Waddington, K. and Bonaparte, B. 2024. Compassion in higher education: Fashion or future for relational pedagogies? Higher Education Research and Development. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2024.2406505

Beyond bullshit: Writing with compassion, clarity and creativity
Waddington, K. 2024. Beyond bullshit: Writing with compassion, clarity and creativity. The Psychologist.

Concluding Reflections: Key Questions and Challenges for the Future
Waddington, K. and Bonaparte, B. 2024. Concluding Reflections: Key Questions and Challenges for the Future. in: Waddington, K. and Bonaparte, B. (ed.) Developing Pedagogies of Compassion in Higher Education: A Practice First Approach Switzerland Springer Nature. pp. 263-282

Theorising Organisational Compassion – Could Gossip Help?
Waddington, K. 2024. Theorising Organisational Compassion – Could Gossip Help? in: Waddington, K. and Bonaparte, B. (ed.) Developing Pedagogies of Compassion in Higher Education: A Practice First Approach Switzerland Springer Nature. pp. 135-154

Seeing Compassion Through Students' Eyes
Waddington, K. and Bonaparte, B. 2024. Seeing Compassion Through Students' Eyes. in: Waddington, K. and Bonaparte, B. (ed.) Developing Pedagogies of Compassion in Higher Education: A Practice First Approach Switzerland Springer Nature. pp. 21-35

Action learning and coaching as an integrated approach for supporting women’s career progression: A reflective analysis
Waddington, K. and Jones, S. 2023. Action learning and coaching as an integrated approach for supporting women’s career progression: A reflective analysis . Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice. 11 (2), pp. 90-108.

Leaving egos outside: A ‘reverse mentoring’ study of BAME psychology students and senior university leaders
Waddington, K., Husbands, D. and Bonaparte, B. 2023. Leaving egos outside: A ‘reverse mentoring’ study of BAME psychology students and senior university leaders. Journal of Academic Development and Education. 14, pp. 6-11. https://doi.org/10.21252//xszj-2r62

Developing compassionate pedagogical practice with students as co-researchers
Waddington, K. and Bonaparte, B. 2022. Developing compassionate pedagogical practice with students as co-researchers. UK Society for Research into Higher Educaton & Open University Press.

New thinking about gossip – as an idea whose time has come
Waddington, K. 2022. New thinking about gossip – as an idea whose time has come . theconversation.com.

Gossip, Organization and Work: A Research Overview
Waddington, K. 2022. Gossip, Organization and Work: A Research Overview. Abingdon and New York Routledge.

Action Learning as a Practice: A Case Study of Compassion in Action
Waddington, K., Nowlan, J. and Kaplan, Y. 2021. Action Learning as a Practice: A Case Study of Compassion in Action. In Practice. 15 (3), pp. 243-267.

Concluding Remarks
Waddington, K. 2021. Concluding Remarks. in: Waddington, K. (ed.) Towards the Compassionate University: From Golden Thread to Global Impact Abingdon and New York Routledge. pp. 213-222

What Constitutes a Compassionate University?
Belak, T. and Waddington, K. 2021. What Constitutes a Compassionate University? in: Abingdon and New York Routledge. pp. 170-190

Action Learning as a Vehicle for Compassion
Waddington, K. and Kaplan, Y. 2021. Action Learning as a Vehicle for Compassion. in: Abingdon and New York Routledge. pp. 57-74

The influence of music on black, Asian and minority ethnic women working in the field of domestic violence and abuse: Critical reflection on music as method
Waddington, K. and Erbmann, M. 2021. The influence of music on black, Asian and minority ethnic women working in the field of domestic violence and abuse: Critical reflection on music as method. International Practice Development Journal. 11 (1) 10. https://doi.org/10.19043/ipdj.111.010

Why compassion, why now?
Waddington, K. 2021. Why compassion, why now? in: Waddington, K. (ed.) Towards the Compassionate University: From Golden Thread to Global Impact Abingdon and New York Routledge. pp. 5-22

The Science of Gossip: Rethinking the Evidence-base for Healthcare Practice
Waddington, K. 2020. The Science of Gossip: Rethinking the Evidence-base for Healthcare Practice. Healthcare Transformers.

Building better relationships: Developing critically reflective practice when working preventatively with domestic violence and abuse
Das, J. and Waddington, K. 2020. Building better relationships: Developing critically reflective practice when working preventatively with domestic violence and abuse . International Practice Development Journal. 10 (2) 12. https://doi.org/10.19043/ipdj.102.012

Understanding and Creating Compassionate Institutional Cultures and Practices
Waddington, K. 2019. Understanding and Creating Compassionate Institutional Cultures and Practices. in: Gibbs, P., Jameson, J. and Elwick, A. (ed.) Values of the University in a Time of Uncertainty Cham, Switzerland Springer. pp. 241-260

Compassionate Followership: The Emotional Side of Leadership
Waddington, K. 2019. Compassionate Followership: The Emotional Side of Leadership. The Corporate Report: Facilitating Business in South Africa. 9 (2), pp. 29-33.

Trends and perspectives in business psychology. What are the outcomes of the fifth International scientific-practical conference “Business psychology: theory and practice”?
Ivanova, N., Benton, S., Waddington, K. and Makhmutova, E. 2019. Trends and perspectives in business psychology. What are the outcomes of the fifth International scientific-practical conference “Business psychology: theory and practice”? Fifth International Scientific and Practical Conference - Business Psychology: Theory and Practice. National Research University Higher School of Economics Moscow 30 Nov - 01 Dec 2018

Developing Compassionate Academic Leadership: The Practice of Kindness
Waddington, K. 2018. Developing Compassionate Academic Leadership: The Practice of Kindness. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice. 6 (3), pp. 87-89. https://doi.org/10.14297/jpaap.v6i3.375

Ideas and influences in practice development: Practicing with political awareness
Waddington, K. 2017. Ideas and influences in practice development: Practicing with political awareness. International Practice Development Journal. 7 (2), p. Article 12 12. https://doi.org/10.19043/ipdj.72.012

Creating conditions for compassion
Waddington, K. 2017. Creating conditions for compassion. in: Gibbs, P. (ed.) The Pedagogy of Compassion at the Heart of Higher Education Cham Springer. pp. 49-70

Rethinking gossip and scandal in healthcare organizations
Waddington, K. 2016. Rethinking gossip and scandal in healthcare organizations. Journal of Health Organization and Management. 30 (6), pp. 810-817. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHOM-03-2016-0053

The compassion gap in UK universities
Waddington, K. 2016. The compassion gap in UK universities. International Practice Development Journal. 6 (1), p. Article 10 10. https://doi.org/10.19043/ipdj.61.010

Comrades in diversity: Weathering the storm of NHS reform through action learning
Waddington, K. 2014. Comrades in diversity: Weathering the storm of NHS reform through action learning. in: Hardy, S. (ed.) Towards Creative Action: Transformations and Collaborations in Practice Manchester Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, Manchester Metropolitan University. pp. 23-30

Academic-practitioner knowledge sharing inside higher education institutions
Lister, J. and Waddington, K. 2014. Academic-practitioner knowledge sharing inside higher education institutions. London Leadership Foundation for Higher Education.

Using qualitative diary research to understand emotion at work
Waddington, K. 2013. Using qualitative diary research to understand emotion at work. in: Bakker, A.B. and Daniels, K. (ed.) A Day in the Life of a Happy Worker Hove Psychology Press. pp. 132-149

Human Resource Management (HRM) strategies and academic engagement in UK universities: reflections on an academic-practitioner study
Lister, J. and Waddington, K. 2013. Human Resource Management (HRM) strategies and academic engagement in UK universities: reflections on an academic-practitioner study. European Work and Organizational Psychology in Practice. (5), pp. 12-25.

Influencing others
Waddington, K. 2012. Influencing others. in: Cox, C., Hill, M. and Lack, V. (ed.) Advanced Practice in Healthcare Chichester Wiley. pp. 209-225

Gossip and Organizations
Waddington, K. 2012. Gossip and Organizations. Abingdon, Oxon Routledge.

Breaking the Silence: The role of gossip in organizational culture
Waddington, K., van Iterson, A. and Michelson, G. 2011. Breaking the Silence: The role of gossip in organizational culture. in: Ashkanasy, N., Peterson, M. and Wilderom, C. (ed.) The Handbook of Organizational Culture and Climate. 2nd Edition Thousand Oaks, CA Sage. pp. 375-392

The effectiveness of a disaster training programme for healthcare workers in Greece
Bistaraki, A, Waddington, K. and Galanis, P 2011. The effectiveness of a disaster training programme for healthcare workers in Greece. International Nursing Review. 58 (3), pp. 341-346. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-7657.2011.00898.x

Watch this space: Working between disciplines and paradigms in the scholarship of organizational gossip
Waddington, K. 2011. Watch this space: Working between disciplines and paradigms in the scholarship of organizational gossip. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences. 5 (9), pp. 323-330.

Learning about leadership through critical reflection and practitioner-academic co-inquiry
Waddington, K. and Molloy, K 2011. Learning about leadership through critical reflection and practitioner-academic co-inquiry. European Work and Organizational Psychology in Practice. 4, pp. 18-30.

Leadership and organisational decision-making: The nurse's role in policy and practice
Waddington, K. 2010. Leadership and organisational decision-making: The nurse's role in policy and practice. in: Cox, C. and Hill, M. (ed.) Professional Issues in Primary Care Nursing Chichester Wiley. pp. 226-242

Collaborating and working with the multidisciplinary team and agencies
Waddington, K. 2010. Collaborating and working with the multidisciplinary team and agencies. in: Cox. C. and Hill, M. (ed.) Professional Issues in Primary Care Nursing Chichester Wiley. pp. 209-225

Gossip in organisations: Contexts, consequences and controversies
Michelson, G., van Iverson, A. and Waddington, K. 2010. Gossip in organisations: Contexts, consequences and controversies. Group & Organization Management. 35 (4), pp. 371-390. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601109360389

Organizational gossip, sense-making and the spook fish: A reflexive account
Waddington, K. 2010. Organizational gossip, sense-making and the spook fish: A reflexive account. International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy. 4 (3/4), pp. 311-325. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMCP.2010.037815

HRM strategies and academic engagement
Lister, J. and Waddington, K. 2010. HRM strategies and academic engagement. London Leadership Foundation for Higher Education.

Gossip and emotion in nursing and healthcare organizations
Waddington, K. and Fletcher, C. 2005. Gossip and emotion in nursing and healthcare organizations. Journal of Health, Organisation and Management. 19 (4/5), pp. 378-394. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777260510615404

Permalink - https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/q2yy4/continuities-in-caring-emotion-work-in-a-nhs-direct-call-centre


Restricted files

Publisher's version

Under embargo indefinitely terms available at: http://rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/

Share this

Usage statistics

151 total views
0 total downloads
These values cover views and downloads from WestminsterResearch and are for the period from September 2nd 2018, when this repository was created.