Emotional labor, defined as the work associated with suppression of true emotions in a difficult environment, task or encounter, can lead to compassion fatigue and burnout. The relationships between emotional labor, compassion fatigue and burnout have been described and studied in clinical nursing. The components of emotional labor in the nurse educator role have not been studied at length. Identifying the components of nurse educator duties that contribute to emotional labor have the potential to assist nursing education leaders in developing strategies to address this negative aspect of the role. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in this interpretive description qualitative study to explore the perceptions of nurse educators regarding which components of daily work and the work environment contribute to emotional labor. Study participants identified tasks and environments which produced emotional labor and provided suggestions for systematic improvements to decrease the incidence and negative effects of emotional labor. Further inquiry and research are warranted to improve job satisfaction and longevity of nurses practicing as nurse educators. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]