Abstract
This phenomenological research capture the phenomenon of discrimination among the nurses in the initial six months of the COVID-19 outbreak. Participants of the study comprised fifteen registered nurses from different government and private hospitals in the Philippines with the criterion sampling technique used in the selection of participants. The participants in the study were interviewed and responded to a series of semi-structured questions and the data thus collected were analyzed in a manner that was quite consistent with Colaizzi’s seven-stage phenomenological data analysis and reduction technique to be able to get to the very core and essence of the participants’ experiences.
The study identified five major themes from the participants' narratives: Discrimination: (1) Types, (2) Effects on Mental Health, (3) Prevention & Reduction Efforts, (4) Bystanders and Advocates, and (5) Employer’s Response to Discrimination. The results indicate that there were several types of discrimination within the healthcare center discriminations based on race, ethnicity, sex, age, and members of the LGBTQ+ community with nurses as victims most of the time. Such discriminations were most often further amplified by the growing anxiety and social distancing measures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is found that discrimination in the workplace hurts healthcare workers and leads to more stress, and anxieties and causes burnout. The experiences of Filipino nurses are discussed in the context of the effects described by Labraque et al. (2021) with Cleofas (2022), Dye et al. (2020) & Corpuz (2021), increased bullying & harassment were reported which increase the knowledge that discrimination is prevalent during the pandemic.
Indeed, the results of this study speak to the importance for healthcare organizations to put effective interventions and support structures in place to combat discrimination. This puts forward legislative changes and organizational policies which are of diversity, inclusion, and equity. The results support the debates on discrimination in healthcare stressing the need for promoting supporting environments for Health Care workers.
Notes
References:
1. Cleofas, J. V. (2022). The despair of Filipino nurses due to prejudice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Nursing Management, 30(1), 23-31. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13472
2. Corpuz, R. (2021). Eviction, ridicule, and harassment: The stigma faced by healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social Science & Medicine, 275, 113778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113778
3. Dye, T. D., Alcantara, L., Siddiqi, S., Barbosu, M., Sharma, S., Panko, T., & Pressman, E. (2020). Risk of COVID-19-related bullying, harassment, and stigma among healthcare workers: An analytical cross-sectional global study. BMJ Open, 10(12), e044317. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044317
4. Labraque, L. J., De los Santos, J. A., & Fronda, D. C. (2021). Filipino frontline nurses' mental health during COVID-19: The role of discrimination and prejudice. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 77(2), 915-923. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14692
5. Singh, R., & Subedi, M. (2020). COVID-19 and stigma: Social discrimination towards frontline healthcare providers and COVID-19 recovered patients in Nepal. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 53, 102222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102222
Sigma Membership
Phi Gamma (Virtual)
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Phenomenology
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Discrimination, Healthcare Professionals, Ethics, COVID19
Recommended Citation
STA. MARIA, MARJORIE FAY PAREDES, "Discrimination Among Healthcare Professionals During the COVID-19 Crisis: A Phenomenological Study" (2025). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 38.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2025/presentations_2025/38
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Discrimination Among Healthcare Professionals During the COVID-19 Crisis: A Phenomenological Study
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
This phenomenological research capture the phenomenon of discrimination among the nurses in the initial six months of the COVID-19 outbreak. Participants of the study comprised fifteen registered nurses from different government and private hospitals in the Philippines with the criterion sampling technique used in the selection of participants. The participants in the study were interviewed and responded to a series of semi-structured questions and the data thus collected were analyzed in a manner that was quite consistent with Colaizzi’s seven-stage phenomenological data analysis and reduction technique to be able to get to the very core and essence of the participants’ experiences.
The study identified five major themes from the participants' narratives: Discrimination: (1) Types, (2) Effects on Mental Health, (3) Prevention & Reduction Efforts, (4) Bystanders and Advocates, and (5) Employer’s Response to Discrimination. The results indicate that there were several types of discrimination within the healthcare center discriminations based on race, ethnicity, sex, age, and members of the LGBTQ+ community with nurses as victims most of the time. Such discriminations were most often further amplified by the growing anxiety and social distancing measures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is found that discrimination in the workplace hurts healthcare workers and leads to more stress, and anxieties and causes burnout. The experiences of Filipino nurses are discussed in the context of the effects described by Labraque et al. (2021) with Cleofas (2022), Dye et al. (2020) & Corpuz (2021), increased bullying & harassment were reported which increase the knowledge that discrimination is prevalent during the pandemic.
Indeed, the results of this study speak to the importance for healthcare organizations to put effective interventions and support structures in place to combat discrimination. This puts forward legislative changes and organizational policies which are of diversity, inclusion, and equity. The results support the debates on discrimination in healthcare stressing the need for promoting supporting environments for Health Care workers.
Description
This investigates the discrimination experiences of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing phenomenological design, it analyzed narratives from 15 nurses in the Philippines, revealing themes of discrimination types, mental health effects, and responses from employers. Findings indicate increased stress and burnout among nurses, emphasizing the need for organizational interventions and policies promoting diversity and inclusion to combat discrimination in healthcare settings.