CHALLENGING TIMES: THE PERILS OF NURSES AMIDST THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic had caused increasing challenges for healthcare professionals globally. The pandemic overwhelms many countries’ healthcare systems. In the Philippines, there is a dearth of information regarding these challenges. This study helps identify and explore some of the difficulties and challenges faced by our healthcare professionals amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The study utilized mixed-method research utilizing an explanatory sequential approach. It was conducted online, at different hospitals within Quezon Province. Two data-gathering instruments were used; a survey questionnaire and a short interview. A survey questionnaire was distributed among the participants via google forms which involves questions regarding the demographic profile of the respondents. It was followed by a short virtual interview with randomly selected nurse respondents. The questionnaire and interview contain questions that revealed the perils encountered by the nurses. Purposive and snowball sampling technique was employed to recruit one hundred (100) nurses. The majority of the respondents were female nurses rendering 0-5 years in service earning below 10, 000 to 20, 000 within a month. The results of the study show that nurses experienced a lot of difficulties in their interpersonal, intrapersonal, and extra-personal aspects. The study revealed that most of them experienced challenges on their way to work. They find it difficult to choose public transport in going to work due to the stigmatization. The study also revealed that nurses are facing great difficulties in socializing or interacting with the members of the community, their families/relatives, and their patients. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic took a great toll on the intrapersonal aspect of the nurses. The study shows a significant difference in the respondents' intrapersonal aspect. It was revealed that younger nurses experienced greater intrapersonal challenges than older nurses. Most of them cannot handle the sudden death of patients and the increasing number of cases. But, regardless of the salaries that they are receiving the nurses are experiencing the same level of intrapersonal and extrapersonal difficulties.