Filipino next generation nurses as frontliners amid COVID-19 pandemic: A Husserlian phenomenology study

ABSTRACT

@#PURPOSE: Since the outbreak of the unprecedented COVID-19 health crisis, Filipino nurses are one of the vital health workers in fighting its devastation in the Philippines. The study aimed to describe the lived-experiences of Filipino next generation nurses as frontliners in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: The paper espoused the qualitative research design of inquiry exclusively Husserlian descriptive phenomenology. Study participants were selected using non-probability, purposive sampling design. The sample (N=19) was consisted of Filipino nurses with less than 10 years of practice experience, referred to as next-generation nurses, who function as frontline healthcare workers in healthcare settings, both male and female. The study was conducted in the national capital region (NCR), which has the most COVID-19 cases in the country. Due to the community quarantine imposed by the national government, the corpus of data was collected through virtual semi-structured interviews and from the participants' testimonies posted in social-media. METHOD: An adaptation of Colaizzi's empirical phenomenological research approach was utilized to obtain an in-depth understanding and analysis of study participants' experiences. FINDINGS: The profound, life-changing experiences of a select group of Filipino next- generation nurses were unified in three interesting themes, namely, acclimatization to the challenges of the novel clinical situation, affirmation of the spirit of resiliency, and actualization of the valued calling. CONCLUSION: The contagion has demanded a new way of working, and these nurses have risen to the challenge, and demonstrated how capable they are at responding to new situations and uncertainty. Despite facing dire challenges, they demonstrate the spirit of resiliency. This health crisis enables them to impart the value of the nursing vocation. As they navigate this unprecedented contagion, their experiences and status could likely alter at different phases of the pandemic. Hence, the provision of long-term and holistic support for them is necessary to preserve their welfare.