Quality care is a basic human right and a core foundation for a patient's health, recovery, and well-being. In the current Philippine context, gay and lesbian older persons face gender-care disparities in the caring dynamism. Until now, their care needs are not articulated in the country's basic nursing curriculum. Consequently, the care approach is incongruent, biased, and risky. In response to this gender-care disparity, participatory action research (PAR) was used to identify this cohort's care needs and their meaning by developing a nursing care hub called the ‘Gay Care Center’ for older gays and lesbians. This paper focuses on describing: (a) the current situation of nursing care among the gay and lesbian older persons; (b) the meaning of care needs from their perspective; and (c) the Gay Care Center's tailored approach and services to meet their care needs. Multiple sources were utilized to collect data: focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and observations. Data were then analyzed using Mayring's qualitative content analysis. Findings revealed that caring practices for older gays and lesbians could only be effective, satisfying, and holistic when the meaning of their individual needs are sensitively listened to, understood, and met. This led to the coined term HUMANistic caring, a new approach that emerged as their preferred mode of care. It is recommended that extensive gender-care training be conducted among gerontological nurses, and this be incorporated in the nursing curriculum to ensure that the provision of care is safe, respectful, humane, and just.

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly challenged global healthcare systems, particularly impacting the psychological health of nurses. This study examines the psychosocial impact and work-related stressors faced by Filipino nurses during the COVID-19 crisis.

METHODS

Adescriptive cross-sectional survey was used to gather data from May 2021 to May 2022. Participants included registered nurses recruited from across the Philippines, focusing on their exposure to work related stressors, burnout, job satisfaction, and coping activities. The survey included validated items that measured work related variables (e.g., job responsibilities, workload) and personal stress management strategies. Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages) were calculated to interpret the continuous and categorical variables.

RESULTS

A total of 2,229 nurses participated in the survey. Findings indicate that 78.9% of nurses experienced increased workloads, and 36% were assigned to units outside their expertise. Despite the high stress and burnout rates (30.4% reported symptoms), 56.4% of nurses intended to stay in their positions. The most common coping strategies were use of social media (53.7%) and connecting with friends and family (51.5%).

CONCLUSION

Filipino nurses displayed considerable resilience despite facing severe work-related stressors and psychological strains during the pandemic. The study highlights significant stressors such as increased workload, role shifts, and the lack of clear workplace goals, contributing to burnout and reduced job satisfaction. This study underscores the need for enhanced support systems and policies to safeguard nurses' well-being, recommending more robust mental health services, adequate staffing, and the provision of necessary resources and training to prepare nurses for future health crises better.

Covid-19 ; Stress, Psychological ; Burnout, Psychological ; Job Satisfaction