Abstract

Within the current coronavirus pandemic and against a backdrop of a pre-existing shortage of nurses in the UK, it is crucial to consider the issue of mental health and how to support nurses. This article uses the concept of emotional labour as a vehicle for a discussion of how best to understand the unique challenges faced by nursing staff in all care settings. Care is the central pivot around which nursing revolves and, as such, is dependent on an emotive response to support patients during critical stages of Covid-19 infection.