Abstract
The Commission on Higher Education Executive Order 52, series of 2016, mandated Higher Educational Institutions as platforms of research and development, innovation, and Extension to pursue social and economic growth. Studies on nursing community extension/involvement in the Philippines remain scarce, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when most research focused on hospital/clinical experiences. While Extension has often been regarded as a second-rate endeavor compared to research, there remains a dearth of studies that offer personal accounts of how Filipino nurse leaders in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines led their community extension programs and projects during the pandemic. To understand this phenomenon, the study sought to describe the essence of nurse leaders' lived experiences by utilizing Colaizzi's 7-step method to analyze data from a qualitative descriptive phenomenological research design. Using purposive sampling, the informants were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The essential structure of the phenomenon revealed that nurse leaders' experiences were fundamentally characterized by navigating uncertainty, constrained resources, and heightened responsibility through value-driven leadership, adaptive decision-making, and sustained commitment to public service, whilst balancing personal vulnerability with institutional and public service demands. Five interrelated themes emerged from the analysis: Kabugayan: Overcoming COVID-19 Hurdles, Kabaskog: Regaining Strength, Kabalaka: Extending a Helping Hand, Kaalam: Showcasing Intellectual Prowess, and Kabudlayan: Navigating the Challenges faced by Nurse Leaders. The themes informed the development of the model, "5Ks in Extension and Community Involvement of Nurse Leaders During the COVID-19 Pandemic". The model contributes knowledge in the contextualization of Filipino nursing leadership management by suggesting that Filipino nurse leaders see "character formation" as a salient outcome of personal and professional hardships. The global Nursing community could benefit from community extension as an ideal platform for developing and exposing nurse leaders to the real-life problems of the community.
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