Lived Experiences of Emergency Department (ED) Nurses with Comorbidities amidst COVID-19 Pandemic at Candon City of Ilocos Sur: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Nurses may be regarded as modern-day superheroes, but realistically, they are humans too. They experience joy, gratitude, fear, and anxiety just like normal human beings. With this pandemic, nurses are exposed to psychological stress. Healthcare staff, specifically nurses, experience a plethora of psychological distress during the care of COVID-19 patients. Identifying factors that affect nurses' mental health during the care of these patients can be an advantage in mitigating the psychological burden that they are experiencing. [1] This study described the ER nurses' lived experiences about being in the frontline despite their comorbidities. The study applied a qualitative method using Husserlian phenomenology. The researchers adopted the purposive sampling approach in selecting the ten participants to achieved data saturation. The process involved in the collection of data was through individual interviews. The criteria of the selection of participants are: must be registered nurse, a nurse working at the emergency room of the four hospitals in Candon City, Ilocos Sur; with a minimum work experience of 6 months in the facility; between ages 40 to 60 years of age; regular employee; and with comorbidity. Key words: lived-experiences, emergency room nurses, comorbidity, amid pandemic.