Abstract
Reports of individuals exhibiting respiratory symptoms causing sudden deaths emerged as a pandemic in the start of a new decade. The onset of the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a worldwide health crisis brought out the significance of the nurses’ role in healthcare. This descriptive phenomenological research focused on the caring experiences of Filipino nurses among patients who were infected with COVID-19 in Negros Oriental, Philippines. Seven participants were identified through purposive and snowball sampling and were asked the question: What is it like to be caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Negros Oriental, Philippines during this pandemic?
After comprehensive interviews via an online videoconferencing platform, Collaizi’s data analysis revealed thirty themes after an analysis of 244 significant statements and 275 formulated meanings. These were organized into seven sub-themes leading to the formation of three (3) major themes namely: (1) Understanding the unknown, (2) Fulfilling the nursing role despite challenges and (3) Influencing the nurses’ psychosocial well-being.
The study findings were also related to the nursing theory of Boykin & Schoenhofer’s Nursing as Caring. Participants encountered constraints and dilemmas from being left with no choice and expressing refusal to work to accepting the role and assuming professional responsibility. While living in the caring process and fulfilling their role, the participants tackle through several healthcare organizational challenges. Participants reported overwhelming nurse-to-patient ratios (1:7 to 1:20), leadership gaps and work inequalities. Their patient interactions influence the nurses’ psychosocial well-being holistically allowing them to look into a wide range of emotional responses, build nursing resilience and cultivate supportive communities.
Understanding the experiences of Filipino nurses in this study benefits the nursing workforce considering Philippines as the world’s largest supplier of nurses. The participant responses are calls to nursing leadership across nations to incorporate resilience in nursing education, increase public awareness, prevent stigma, and improve policy development in relation to disaster risk reduction management and pandemic preparedness. Filipino nurses with shared experiences shed light on the profound challenges and unwavering dedication during the pandemic, as reflected in a participant’s statement, “If nobody will go, then who will?”
Notes
References: Bambi, S., Iozzo, P., Lucchini, A. (2020). New issues in nursing management during the
COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. American Journal of Critical Care, 29 (4), 92-93.
Bridges, J. (2020). Covid 19: Supporting nurses' psychological and mental health. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29(15-16), 2742-2750. doi:10.1111/jocn.15307
Halcomb, E., Mcinnes, S., Williams, A., Ashley, C., James, S., Fernandez, R., . . . Calma, K. R. (2020). Title: The experiences of primary health care nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. doi:10.22541/au.158931132.20227658
Jiménez-Herrera, M.F., Llauradó-Serra, M., & Acebedo-Urdiales, S. et al. (2020). Emotions and feelings in critical and emergency caring situations: a qualitative study. BMC Nurs 19, 60. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-020-00438-6
Smith, G. D., Ng, F., & Li, W. H. (2020). COVID 19: Emerging compassion, courage and resilience in the face of misinformation and adversity. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29(9-10), 1425-1428. doi:10.1111/jocn.15231
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Lead Author Affiliation
Stanford Health Care Palo Alto, California
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Interprofessional initiatives, Global leadership, Sustainable development goals
Recommended Citation
Suasin, Kristeline, "The Lived Experience of Filipino Nurses Caring for Patients with COVID-19" (2025). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 9.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2025/presentations_2025/9
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
The Lived Experience of Filipino Nurses Caring for Patients with COVID-19
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Reports of individuals exhibiting respiratory symptoms causing sudden deaths emerged as a pandemic in the start of a new decade. The onset of the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a worldwide health crisis brought out the significance of the nurses’ role in healthcare. This descriptive phenomenological research focused on the caring experiences of Filipino nurses among patients who were infected with COVID-19 in Negros Oriental, Philippines. Seven participants were identified through purposive and snowball sampling and were asked the question: What is it like to be caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Negros Oriental, Philippines during this pandemic?
After comprehensive interviews via an online videoconferencing platform, Collaizi’s data analysis revealed thirty themes after an analysis of 244 significant statements and 275 formulated meanings. These were organized into seven sub-themes leading to the formation of three (3) major themes namely: (1) Understanding the unknown, (2) Fulfilling the nursing role despite challenges and (3) Influencing the nurses’ psychosocial well-being.
The study findings were also related to the nursing theory of Boykin & Schoenhofer’s Nursing as Caring. Participants encountered constraints and dilemmas from being left with no choice and expressing refusal to work to accepting the role and assuming professional responsibility. While living in the caring process and fulfilling their role, the participants tackle through several healthcare organizational challenges. Participants reported overwhelming nurse-to-patient ratios (1:7 to 1:20), leadership gaps and work inequalities. Their patient interactions influence the nurses’ psychosocial well-being holistically allowing them to look into a wide range of emotional responses, build nursing resilience and cultivate supportive communities.
Understanding the experiences of Filipino nurses in this study benefits the nursing workforce considering Philippines as the world’s largest supplier of nurses. The participant responses are calls to nursing leadership across nations to incorporate resilience in nursing education, increase public awareness, prevent stigma, and improve policy development in relation to disaster risk reduction management and pandemic preparedness. Filipino nurses with shared experiences shed light on the profound challenges and unwavering dedication during the pandemic, as reflected in a participant’s statement, “If nobody will go, then who will?”
Description
The descriptive phenomenological research focused on the caring experiences of Filipino nurses among patients who were infected with COVID-19 in Negros Oriental, Philippines. Filipino nurses with these shared experiences shed light on the profound challenges and unwavering dedication and compassion during the pandemic.