THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF NURSES AMIDST COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed the entire healthcare system and caused serious risks and challenges for healthcare providers, especially the nurses who comprise the most considerable portion of the workforce and are working on the front line, providing direct care to COVID-19 patients. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of nurses who provide direct care to COVID-19 patients in various clinical settings to bring more knowledge and a deeper understanding of the essence of the experience of nurses in caring for these patients. This study utilized Colaizzi’s phenomenological analysis method based on Husserl’s philosophy in descriptive phenomenology. The researchers used in-depth interviews (one-on-one) with registered nurses that have experienced at least a month of caring for COVID-19 patients From the experiences of ten (10) nurses who provided direct care to COVID19 patients in various clinical settings in Quezon Province, three (3) key themes were identified namely (1) Affective Barriers, (2) Coping and Management, and (3) Positive Outlook. The study showed that the nurses experienced various challenges and difficulties, along with a variety of physical, psychological, and emotional distress during their care of patients with COVID-19. However, nurses were able to manage and cope with these experiences and showed resiliency to their work. Nurses also find their job fulfilling and rewarding and were able to learn and improved continuously and grow in their profession. A pandemic behavioral model for nurses was developed inspired by the results of the study.