Troops on the Front Line of a Health Battle: Filipino Nurses’ Lived Experiences in the Pandemic

Abstract

The deadly pandemic spread due to infections with the Coronavirus (COVID-19). It has a disproportionately large effect on healthcare workers and presents unique challenges for this vital sector of society. As a result, the pandemic has heightened public awareness of the dangers that nurses face around the world. This study aimed at exploring the lived experiences of five purposively selected nurses in a public hospital in the southern Philippines. The phenomenological inquiry brought out themes encompassing (1) putting up with occupational stress, (2) reconfiguring personal and social time, and (3) coping with the situation’s gravity. These themes have been fleshed out to capture deeper meanings in the experiences of nurses during the health crisis in which they are deemed to be crucial front liners. The study concludes that while the nurses’ quality of life has been impacted due to the unprecedented situation, they remain committed to their profession. The study then implies that the government should be more responsive to the needs of the nurses and that support and assistance in their practice of the nursing profession amid the pandemic be provided substantially. Implications for hospital administrators and future researchers are also offered.