Experiences of the Frontline Healthcare Professionals Amid the COVID-19 Health Hazard: A Phenomenological Investigation

Abstract

The highly infectious novel coronavirus (COVID-19), officially SARS-CoV-2, was discovered in Wuhan, China, and quickly spread to the rest of the world in 2020. Frontline workers had frequent interactions with COVID-19-infected and -uninfected patients. Therefore, the study’s overarching goal is to investigate the experiences of frontline healthcare professionals in dealing with the COVID-19 health emergency. The study used a qualitative research approach with a phenomenological research design. Using a purposeful sampling approach, the researcher collected data from 24 participants. The MAXQDA program was used to analyze the data, and followed Collaizzi’s 7-step technique. All ethical standards were met to perform the study. Four main themes and ten subthemes were derived from the 24 in-depth interviews. The key themes were emotional suffering, intense physical pressure, social connection deterioration, and the inability to manage family obligations. Extensive social, emotional, and organizational aid is necessary to assist individuals in dealing with this unprecedented health crisis. Furthermore, the government and non-governmental organizations must work together to come up with the right policies to limit the COVID-19 burden on frontline health professionals.