Descriptive Phenomenology Research Articles

Experiences of Medical Residents and Faculty Members on Adhering to Professional Commitments and Training during Covid Pandemic: A Qualitative Study


 Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic era, adhering to professional commitments can be a major challenge. This study aims to document the experiences of medical residents and faculty members on the challenges of adhering to professional commitments during the COVID-19 pandemia and its impacts on clinical education.
 Methods: This qualitative study (using a descriptive phenomenology and purposive sampling method) was conducted in 2020, comprising 14 participants (faculty members and infectious diseases residents of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences) to share their experiences on the challenges of strict adherence to professional behavior. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The transcribed interviews were analyzed based on the Colaizzi approach.
 Result: Ninety extracted primary codes are classified to two main areas: problems in adherence to professional commitments and the impact of COVID-19 pandemia on educational and research activities mandatory for professionalism. In the first area, the three main themes includes reducing effective patient-physician communication, non-maleficence and violating justice, and the second, two main themes includes a rise in non-professional behavior when dealing with patients (cutting down the quantity and quality of training, reducing supervision and decreased clinical engagement with patients) and a rise in non-professional behaviors in the research area.
 Conclusion: The most important problem negatively affecting professional commitments during corona epidemy is role overload and the deterioration of physician-patient relationship. Due to the influence of role modeling on student professional behavior, it is helpful to include the training of related skills that can reduce the incidence of these problems in the clinical settings.

Experiences of socialization in clinical education among Indonesian nursing students: A phenomenology study

BackgroundProfessional socialization is an essential process of the nursing profession to internalize the values into behavior, resulting in professional identity. However, research into students' experience of professional socialization in clinical nursing education remains limited. AimTo explore Bachelor nursing students' (NS) experience of professional socialization in clinical education in Indonesia. DesignThis study used a descriptive phenomenology qualitative approach. Four sessions of focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted with ten final-year NS from five teaching hospitals using the purposive sampling technique. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi methods and NVivo 12 Plus. ResultsThe analysis identified two themes and four-subthemes in this study. The first theme is the facilitators of the socialization experience, consisting of “being a professional nurse” and “Islamic culture”. The second theme hinders the socialization experience, including “inadequacy of socialization” and “nurses' unprofessional behavior.” ConclusionBachelor NS experience is challenging in Indonesia in both a positive and negative way, which facilitates or hinders professional socialization. Thus, the role of a nurse educator in establishing a comprehensive professional socialization program for new NS to assist their transition from the academic setting into clinical education needs to be reassessed.

“Your heart keeps bleeding”: lived experiences of parents with a perinatal death in Northern Uganda

BackgroundWorldwide, two million babies are stillborn and 1.8 million babies die before completing seven days of life. Approximately 4% of pregnant women in Uganda experience perinatal death. The response following a perinatal death tends to be socio-culturally constructed. Investigating the unique personal experiences of parents from a low-income setting with unique cultural beliefs and practices is crucial for the design and implementation of appropriate interventions.ObjectiveTo describe the lived experiences of parents following perinatal death in Lira district, Northern Uganda.MethodsA qualitative study was carried out drawing on the tenets of descriptive phenomenology. We conducted 32 in-depth interviews in Lira district, Northern Uganda between August 2019 and September 2020 with 18 women and 14 men who had experienced a stillbirth or an early neonatal death within the preceding 2 years. Participants were selected from different families and interviewed. A local IRB approved the study. All in-depth interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated, and data were analysed using a content thematic approach. Key findings were discussed based on Worden’s Four Tasks of Mourning theory.ResultsThe themes that emerged from the analyses included reaction to the perinatal loss and suggestions for support. The participants’ immediate reactions were pain, confusion, and feelings of guilt which were aggravated by the unsupportive behaviour of health care providers. Men cumulatively lost financial resources in addition to facing multiple stressful roles. Delayed reactions such as pain and worries were triggered by the sight of similar-age-babies, subsequent pregnancy losses, and marital challenges. Participants recommended emotional support and management of postnatal complications for parents faced with perinatal loss.ConclusionLosing a baby during the perinatal period in a resource-constrained setting negatively affected both gender. In addition, men suffered the loss of financial resources and the burden of multiple stressful roles. Acknowledging the pain and offering support to the grieving parents reinforce their coping with a perinatal loss. In addition to family and community members, health care providers need to provide emotional support and postnatal care to parents who experience perinatal death.

Advice for Academician Mothers with Only Child: "I Wish He Had A Brother"

The purpose of this research is to reveal what kind of reactions academic mothers get from having a only child and their thoughts on having a child again. In this study, descriptive phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research designs, was used. The study group of research was composed of 9 academician mothers (32-51 age range; age range at marriage: 22-35; duration of the marriage; between 7-23 years) with an only child (5-25 age range), using the criterion sampling method, which is one of the purposive sampling methods. Inclusion criteria for the research; They are academicians who have a child of at least 5 years old and have only child. A semi-structured interview was used to collect the data. Content analysis was used to analyze the data collected. As a result of the analysis, the theme of "I wish he had a brother" was reached. As a result, it has been seen that academic mothers with one child are supported by their spouses to have one child; however, most of them want to have a second child. tap here to enter text.

Nursing and Midwifery Students’ Perspectives of Faculty Caring Behaviours: A Phenomenological Study

Aims: The study aimed at exploring faculty caring behaviours from the perspectives of university students enrolled in Nursing and Midwifery programme at one of the public universities in Malawi. Background: The concept of caring has to a larger extent been defined in the context of nursing practice and rarely in the context of nursing education. Caring for students and nurturing a caring attitude in nursing education is the first place for students to learn about the most significant values of their profession. Objective: The objective of this study was to describe faculty caring behaviours from the perspectives of university students who were studying for a degree in Nursing and Midwifery programmes at one of the public universities in Malawi. Methods: A qualitative approach utilising descriptive phenomenology as a study design was used in this study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews at a public university in Malawi from ten (10) nursing and midwifery students who were purposively selected. All ethical considerations were followed. Data were analysed using Colaizzi’s (1978) method. Results: Five themes emerged that defined faculty caring behaviours from the student’s perspective: (1) Being available, (2) Being respectful, (3) Seeing the person in the student, (4) Being fair and (5) Communication. Conclusion Findings have shown that nursing and midwifery faculty display both caring and uncaring behaviours. The study recommends the establishment of a curriculum with caring as one of its defining philosophies; the establishment of educational faculty - student interactions based on moral and human caring principles, and advocating for faculty to embrace faculty caring to improve nursing and midwifery student's professional socialisation.

“But…I survived”: A phenomenological study of the health and wellbeing of aging Black women in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada

Studies that assess the association between race and health have focused intently on the cumulative impact of continuous exposure to racism over an extended period. While these studies have contributed significantly to the general understanding of the life experiences and health status of racialized people, few studies have explicitly bridged the experiences of aging with gender and the wide structural barriers and social factors that have shaped the lives of racialized older women. This study aimed to investigate the origins of health inequities to highlight factors that intersect to affect the health and wellbeing of older Black women across their life course. Descriptive phenomenology was used to describe older Black women’s health and wellbeing, and factors that impact their health across their life course. Criteria-based sampling was used to recruit study participants (n = 27). To be eligible women needed to be 55 years or older, speak English, self-identify as a Black female, and live in the Greater Toronto Area. Data analysis was guided by phenomenology. Themes identified demonstrated that participants’ health and wellbeing were influenced by gender bias, racism, abuse, and retirement later in life. Participants reported having poor mental health during childhood and adulthood due to anxiety and depression. Other chronic illnesses reported included hypertension, diabetes, and cancer. Qualitative methods provided details regarding events and exposures that illuminate pathways through which health inequities emerge across the life course.

"I Give It Everything for an Hour Then I Sleep for Four." The Experience of Post-stroke Fatigue During Outpatient Rehabilitation Including the Perspectives of Carers: A Qualitative Study.

BackgroundFatigue is a debilitating post-stroke symptom negatively impacting rehabilitation. Lack of acknowledgment from carers can be additionally distressing. The purpose of this study was to describe the experience of post-stroke fatigue during outpatient rehabilitation, including the perspectives of carers.MethodsThis qualitative study was guided by descriptive phenomenology within a constructivist paradigm. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with stroke survivors experiencing fatigue (Fatigue Assessment Scale >23) and attending outpatient rehabilitation. Carers were also interviewed where identified, providing insight into their own and stroke survivor experiences. Data were analyzed according to Colaizzi's analytic method.ResultsFourteen stroke survivors (50% culturally and linguistically diverse), and nine carers participated. Six themes were identified: 1. The unpredictable and unprepared uncovering of fatigue; 2. Experience and adjustment are personal 3. Being responsible for self-managing fatigue; 4. The complex juggle of outpatient stroke rehabilitation with fatigue; 5. Learning about fatigue is a self-directed problem-solving experience; 6. Family and carers can support or constrain managing fatigue.ConclusionDespite engaging in outpatient rehabilitation, stroke survivors largely learnt to manage fatigue independent of healthcare professionals. Carers often facilitated learning, monitoring rehabilitation, daily routines and fatigue exacerbation. Conversely, family could be dismissive of fatigue and possess unrealistic expectations. Post-stroke fatigue must be considered by clinicians when delivering outpatient rehabilitation to stroke survivors. Clinicians should consistently screen for fatigue, provide flexible session scheduling, and educate about individual indicators and strategies for management. Clinicians should also explicitly engage carers who play a critical role in the management of fatigue.

PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVES IN IMPLEMENTATION OF HEALTH PROTOCOL PREVENTING THE TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19 IN THE HEALTH SERVICE ENVIRONMENT BASED ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) CONCEPT

Introduction: Currently, COVID-19 has become a global pandemic. The number of COVID-19 cases in Bengkulu Province in January reached 23.110 cases, while for regional cases, Bengkulu City occupies the highest position, namely 9.015 cases compared to 8 (eight) surrounding districts, which Among them, as many as 158 people died. Transmission of COVID-19 can occur airborne or through air contaminated with the coronavirus, then the virus enters through the nose, eyes, mouth, and other mucous membranes. Discipline in implementing health protocols in the community has reduced transmission. Patients' quality of life undergoing treatment in hospitals during the current COVID-19 pandemic often shows terrible symptoms. Nurses cannot be separated from their responsibilities as severing agents and preventing transmission in the family, community, or health care environment. Aspects of focus in this study's concept of Quality of Life (QOL) are biological health functions, psychological, spiritual, social, and family support. Metode: The design of this research is descriptive phenomenology with a qualitative study method. The total respondents in this study were 15 patients who were taken from 3 treatment rooms (inpatient)—sampling using the purposive sampling method. The criteria for respondents in this study were inpatients, patients with the good general condition, adult patients, and cooperative patients. The data that was explored from the respondents was an overview of the patient's perspective related to efforts to prevent COVID-19 by implementing health protocols in terms of the Quality Of Life (QOL) aspect obtained through in-depth interviews, namely an overview of (1) functions health biologically (physiological), (2) psychological, (3) spiritual, (4) social and (5) family support. Hasil: The results of the analysis obtained from in-depth interviews on the physiological aspect that the application of health protocols is effective in preventing transmission, on the psychological aspect the application of health protocols has an impact on feeling safe in patients, on the spiritual aspect the application of health protocols does not make the patient reduce the value of worship, on the social aspect the patient says that With the application of strict protocols, patients use alternative communication media without having to meet in person so that patients feel protected. Regarding family support, respondents said that the implementation of health protocols could also be adequately realized with full support from the family. Kesimpulan: Implementation related to strict health protocols can be well received and beneficial for the patient's quality of life.

Employers’ perceptions of breastfeeding practice of employed mothers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a qualitative study

BackgroundThe Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey 2019 shows that 59% of children are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life, then the rate decreases sharply with age. Nearly half of the Ethiopian labor force (46%) is comprised of women. This is encouraging since women’s employment is one way of ensuring women’s empowerment. However, various factors related to employment make it one of the commonly mentioned factors contributing for the low prevalence of breastfeeding. Hence, there needs to be a conducive work environment that accommodates maternal needs to not fall back from empowerment and to improve breastfeeding practice. There are not many studies in Ethiopia that focus on work environment in relation with employers’ experience and their perception of breastfeeding of employed mothers. Therefore, this study aims to explore employers’ experience and perception of employed mothers’ breastfeeding experience in different working environments in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.MethodsA qualitative study design using a descriptive phenomenology strategy was employed in this study and purposive sampling technique was used to recruit study participants. Data was collected between December 2016 and May 2017 in Addis Ababa city from 10 employers from private, governmental and non-governmental institutions through an in-depth interview. Thematic data analysis was performed where collected data was organized, coded and categorized into themes to give meaningful contributions to answering the research questions.ResultsUnderstanding breastfeeding, current maternity leave, perception of breastfeeding supporting the conditions and mother-friendly work environment were the themes generated after analysis. Almost all employers in this study recognized the importance of breastfeeding despite their different work environments and they also acknowledged the importance of making the working environment mother-friendly for stability and motivation of employed mothers.ConclusionsProviding mothers with a friendly environment is understood as a positive thing by employers. The current maternity leave of 3 months has low acceptance and both onsite childcare center and six-month maternity leave are believed to help in creating a mother-friendly work environment despite their pros and cons.

Social Environments and Physical Activity Among Active Black Women.

To explore the social context of physical activity (PA) among active Black women, we examine the patterns of PA engagement and the benefits of social support in PA maintenance. A cross-sectional study design and descriptive phenomenological approach were used to examine social support and lived experiences of active Black women. The study setting was an online survey of active Black women, ages 21 to 71years who were recruited from across the United States. This secondary data analysis was conducted among a sample of 187 active Black women who maintained PA for ≥6months. The mean age was 41 ± 12.3years, 83.4% completed some college, 37.7% were married, and 30.0% had children. Participants self-reported 'with whom' they engaged in PA and provided qualitative responses about their strategies for PA maintenance. Descriptive statistics were used to examine between-group differences among demographic characteristics and PA variables by category of PA engagement using SAS 9.4. Descriptive phenomenology was used to explore social support themes across and within categories of PA engagement. On average, the active Black women in this study reported engaging in 57.0 ± 18.9 minutes of moderate intensity leisure-time PA per session. Most engaged in PA alone (n = 87), with a group (n = 72), or with another individual (n = 28). Social context themes within categories included: alone - self-management, groups - motivation and accountability, family - values health, and friends - shared interests in PA. Subthemes across social context categories included: who? - people, what and how? - types of social support, and where? - place of social support. Our findings suggest that some Black women may need added social support from others beyond family and friends, while other Black women may prefer additional self-management skills. Nonetheless, this study provides data for developing hypotheses about the mechanisms by which social context may facilitate PA maintenance among Black women. Therefore, intervention studies targeting PA maintenance among Black women should include an in-depth query of social support needs.

Challenges and opportunities of self-supporting students during pandemic

This study intends to explore on the lived experiences of self-supporting vendor students under modular modality. Employing qualitative-descriptive phenomenological design, specifically descriptive phenomenology that focuses on the study of the study of experience from the perception of the individual. Semi structured interviews were conducted to gather the data. Data analysis was done using Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological method to interpret the data. The study revealed that financial challenges in the family have made them self-supporting student vendors. Being a self-supporting student vendors have developed a sense of resourcefulness as they strive to find means in sustaining themselves in their studies. Their ambitions in life is what made them endure hardships and go on in life. Modular approach in learning made their studies a bit lighter since they can choose the time when to study.

The Communication Challenges and Strength of Nurses' Intensive Corona Care during the Two First Pandemic Waves: A Qualitative Descriptive Phenomenology Study.

Intensive care nurses working with patients with severe COVID-19 illness are at the center and frontline of the dynamic pandemic, which poses communication challenges and demands of unusual strength on their part. The study aim was to capture the lived experience of intensive care COVID nurses’ communication challenges and strengths as they cared for COVID-19 intensive care patients during the two first pandemic waves. The study used qualitative descriptive-phenomenology research designs. Twenty-two nurses were selected using snowball sampling, and online interviews were conducted with them. Data were recorded and transcribed, then reflexively double-coded for increased rigor. Four major themes emerged from the data. The first two expressed the communication challenges and difficulties communicating with patients due to the extreme protection needed and/or their medical condition. However, the other two themes expressed the nurses’ strengths—sharing feelings with other caregivers and family. Accordingly, we recommend using simple language and ensuring patient comprehension, as well as creating an optimistic environment for fostering caregiver bonding.

Pengalaman Mekanisme Koping Perawat Pelaksana IGD yang Mengalami Stres Kerja

This study aims to explore the experiences of nurses and identify coping strategies used to overcome the problems they face. The research design used is descriptive phenomenology. The results of the study were 5 themes, the researchers identified five, namely: 1) Sources of work stress for nurses in the emergency unit, 2) doing other activities for various work themes, 3) Coping with stress by improving self-ability, 4) performing various constructive coping techniques, and 5) Make routine work stress handling activities for nurses. In conclusion, the average nurse uses problem-focused coping strategies and to deal with work stress.
 Keywords: Coping mechanism, Experience, Emergency Room Nurse, Job Stress

Level of Acceptability to Sinugbuanong Binisaya as the Medium of Instruction in General Santos North District, General Santos City Division

This study aimed to determine the level of acceptability to Sinugbuanong Binisaya as the medium of instruction in selected elementary schools in General Santos North District, General Santos City Division School Year 2017-2018. The researcher employed descriptive phenomenology research to generate data on the level of acceptability relative to teachers’ practices, beliefs, and management using Sinugbuanong Binisaya as the medium of instruction. The respondents were 66 Grades 1 to 3 General Santos North District teachers, General Santos City Division. A Focus Group Discussion was conducted to determine issues and concerns relative to acceptability of Sinugbuanong Binisaya as the medium of instruction. Findings of the study revealed that the demographic percentage of respondents according to the number of years in teaching rarely indicate that most of the teachers teaching the MTB-MLE were used with the K to 12 curriculums in which Sinugbuanong Binisaya was used as the medium of instruction since the said curriculum was implemented for 6 years now. The acceptance of the teachers in the implementation of the language policy revealed that 100 percent of the teachers as the primary implementers of the MTB-MLE are not attained because of the transition period from the bilingual education to the mother-tongue based education as part of the k to 12 curriculum reform of the Department of Education. Some problems encountered by the teachers in implementing mother tongue - based instruction include absence of books written in mother tongue, lack of vocabulary, and multicultural/ multilingual differences affect teaching in MTB. Moreover, learners’ performance in English was affected by the implementation of the new K to 12 curriculums.

The Experience of nurse managers implementing a nursing management system in COVID-19 wards: A Descriptive Phenomenology Study

Background: The nurse manager is one of the nurses who has authority to implement a nursing management system in a nursing organization to achieve goals based on the input, process and output stages, whether the Covid-19 pandemic has positive and negative impacts on the implementation of the nursing management system. Nursing management is a form of coordination and integration in achieving nursing care and nursing services. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the experience of nurse managers in implementing nursing management system in the COVID-19 wards. Methods: This study used a phenomenological descriptive design and in-depth interview data collection methods. Furthermore, the implementation of this research was carried out in 10 hospitals in North Sumatera, especially Medan City, Deli Serdang Regency and Serdang Bedagai Regency. The participants involved in this study were 20 participants and used the Collaizzi data analysis method. Results: This study revealed 7 themes related to the experience of nurse managers running a nursing management system in the COVID-19 treatment room ; (1) Requires extra high discipline to carry out nursing management functions, (2) There is a psychological disorder for nurse manager to carry out nursing management, (3) Requires moral and material support in carrying out their duties, (4) Performs various efforts to disseminate information on nursing care management systems, (5) Experiences more benefits in implementing nursing management in the COVID-19 ward, (6) Faces complicated obstacles in carrying out nursing management, and (7) Has high expectations in carrying out increasingly complex management functions.Conclusion: From the themes above, the researcher concludes that the nursing management system in the COVID-19 treatment room involves psychological feelings, requires extra self-preparation, requires support from all parties in providing nursing care, improving nursing services to the fullest and can develop the concept of nursing management system during a pandemic.

‘When all think alike, then no one is thinking’: Understanding the Praxis of Creative Insubordination as a Decision-Making Strategy in Philippine Medical Schools

Background – Exercising discretion is vital when making decisions. While decision‐making implies having to choose between predefined alternatives, discretion requires sifting through several solutions and critically choosing the desired one that implies a choice between many alternatives without rigid guidelines pointing to one direction or the other. While previous studies have constantly investigated the nature and dynamics of creative insubordination or discretionary insubordination in primary and secondary education little is known as to how such a construct operates in higher education. Purpose – This study was undertaken to address the central question: “What attributes define creative insubordination as a decision‐making strategy among Philippine medical school deans?” Design – Anchored on descriptive phenomenology, 21 medical deans who have been in the position for at least 4.5 years (range 4.5‐26 years) were purposively selected for in‐depth semi‐structured interviews. Guided by the rules of cool and warm analyses, transcribed texts were phenomenologically reduced and interpreted, and validated via member checking procedure. Findings – Five interesting elements that typify the modes of behavior in the practice of creative insubordination surfaced, namely: cognitional elasticity, emotional sensitivity, conational sincerity, relational mobility and axiological reflectivity. Conclusion – This study provides eidetic images of the multidimensional facets of individual attributes necessary for the praxis of discretionary decision‐making by a select group of Philippine medical deans in varied instances. Keywords: creative insubordination; discretionary decision-making; prosocial rule-breaking; medical deans; higher education

A qualitative study exploring nursing students' perspectives on and attitudes towards hospice care in China

BackgroundWith the fast growth of the older population and the increasing rates of chronic illnesses, the demand for hospice care is increasing at a rapid pace. This is bringing great challenges to the healthcare system in China. Given that nursing students will be the main healthcare workforce in the future, and as such, have responsibilities to prepare for these challenges. Therefore, understanding nursing students' perspectives and attitudes towards hospice care in China is important to promote the development of hospice care services. ObjectivesTo explore the perspectives and attitudes of Chinese nursing students towards hospice care. MethodThe descriptive phenomenology of a qualitative approach was used for the study. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews from 11 nursing students in China between April and June 2021. Data were analysed using Colaizzi's seven-step approach. FindingsThree main themes were identified: (1) Lack of knowledge and skills; (2) lack of clinical experience; and (3) needs for service improvement. These findings indicated the problems of hospice care education and hospice care services in China. ConclusionThe nursing students in this study lacked theoretical knowledge and the practical skills of hospice care. This suggests that medical educational institutions and the government should take action to increase hospice care training for nursing students, in order to increase the capacity and availability of hospice care services. It also informs policy-makers, health professionals, and health educators about the further need for the development of hospice care services in China.

Glimpses of Teaching in the New Normal: Changes, Challenges, and Chances

The current context on virtual education has provided a plethora of studies investigating educational institutions’ response strategies to remote and online learning formats. However, to provide a much-grounded description of the realities in the field, this study explored the role of teachers in the virtual learning environment through their narratives reflective of their experiences. Furthermore, it employed a qualitative narrative and descriptive research method anchored on the tenets of Husserlian descriptive phenomenology. Six higher education professors from different colleges and universities in Central Visayas, Philippines served as the participants of the study. Data were collected from in-depth interviews done virtually via Zoom. Based on participant narratives, the following emerged as themes: changes, challenges, and chances, respectively, in all the teaching-learning phases, from preparation and implementation to assessment. These changes, challenges, and chances shared by the participants have shed light on teaching being a multifaceted profession, putting emphasis on teachers as innovators of change. Thus, it is recommended that colleges and universities should establish an institutional based framework for emergency remote teaching. The framework should highlight policies on virtual education, upscale and upskill teachers, address learning losses, and promote strategies to build resilience in students and teachers.

Nursing Professional Development in Ambulatory Care: A Phenomenological Study.

Nursing professional development (NPD) practitioners play an important role in ensuring the quality and safety of nursing care and in guiding nurses through practice transitions. Recently, increasing numbers of NPD practitioners have been employed in ambulatory care settings, yet little is known about how the ambulatory practice setting affects or is affected by NPD practice. The aim of this descriptive phenomenology was to describe how the NPD role is experienced in the ambulatory care setting.

Breastfeeding Experience among Mothers during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

When health experts declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic, they recognized the virus as a major environmental factor that could affect the practice of breastfeeding. A few studies focused on the effect of COVID-19 on mothers who gave birth during the pandemic. The purpose of this study is to explore the experience of Saudi Arabian breastfeeding mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used a descriptive phenomenology qualitative design and a convenience sample of 18 mothers who breastfed their children beginning in March 2020. Data were collected through semi-structured, open-ended phone interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The mothers were between 27 and 36 years old, and most of them had previous breastfeeding experience. Four main themes emerged regarding breastfeeding experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: breastfeeding experience (positive and negative), support, facilitators, and challenges. Most mothers felt their experience with breastfeeding during the pandemic encouraged them to continue. It is important to reassure and educate breastfeeding mothers about the nature of COVID-19 and its mode of transmission. The findings from this study lay the foundation for future research to support the practice of breastfeeding and overcome the challenges that arose during the pandemic.