Narratives of "Lakas ng Loob" among Filipino Medical Technologists during the COVID-19 Pandemic (2019-2022)

Abstract

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers were beset with different challenges and problems requiring them to display lakas ng loob to continue working throughout this period. This study aims to explore the narrative experiences, concerning lakas ng loob, of medical technologists during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, by gathering their current concept and narratives of lakas ng loob, actions which they show lakas ng loob during this period, and the function of lakas ng loob. This study used a narrative research design with thematic analysis as its method. A semi-structured interview was used to gather the data. Participants were chosen through convenient, purposive, and snowball sampling methods. Eleven medical technologist participants were interviewed for this study. The results of this study present the medical technologists' understanding of the concept of lakas ng loob within the positive action of bahala na. During the time of the pandemic, medical technologists showed lakas ng loob through their work by imbibing the needs of their patients and setting an example to influence each other and show lakas ng loob.