Interpretative Phenomenological Approach Research Articles

Effectiveness of Environmental Leadership Indicators Based on Local Wisdom in Development Horticultural Agriculture in Ngada - Indonesia

This research delves into the pivotal role of farmer groups in driving the development of horticultural agriculture in Ngada Regency, Flores, Indonesia, under the leadership of their respective group chairmen who adopt an environmental leadership approach rooted in local wisdom, recognizing its significance in fostering effective agricultural development. Employing an interpretive phenomenological qualitative research approach, the study unravels the intricate dynamics of environmental leadership by delving into the lived experiences and perceptions of participants. Data collection involves diverse methods including observations, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions (FGD) within horticultural farmer groups, highlighting nuances of their organizational structure and practices. Findings elucidate a spectrum of indicators emblematic of effective environmental leadership within the context of agricultural development, such as possessing an ecological vision, adeptness in motivating others, exemplifying leadership through personal conduct, effective communication skills, and a steadfast commitment to goal attainment, underscoring the interconnectedness between local wisdom, ecological stewardship, and leadership efficacy.

Observation as a professional tool for early childhood teachers’ inquiry habit of mind: an interpretative phenomenological study

ABSTRACT This study aimed at understanding and investigating the lived experiences of early childhood teachers’ observation practices as a professional tool. Interpretative phenomenological approach was utilized to investigate participants’ experiences deeply from their lived experiences. The current study's participants consisted of five early childhood teachers selected through purposive sampling. The three-interview series involving three separate interviews with each participant was used for data collection and the data was analyzed by interpretative phenomenological analysis. The findings describe participant teachers’ observation practices that provide data, how teachers convert data into information, and how they use observational data for decision-making. This study aims to draw attention to the critical role of observation in data-based decision-making and pinpoints practical implications for early childhood teachers.

Exploring risky health behaviors and vulnerability to sexually transmitted diseases among transnational undocumented labor migrants from Bangladesh: a qualitative study

BackgroundIn Bangladesh, remittances constitute a substantial portion of the country’s foreign exchange earnings and serve as a primary source of income. However, a considerable number of Bangladeshi citizens reside overseas without proper documentation, exposing them to significant challenges such as limited access to healthcare and socioeconomic opportunities. Moreover, their irregular migration status often results in engaging in risky health behaviors that further exacerbate their vulnerability. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the risky health behavior and HIV/STI susceptibility of Bangladeshi irregular international migrants residing across the globe with undocumented status.MethodsUsing a qualitative Interpretative Phenomenological Approach (IPA), 25 illegal migrants were interviewed who are currently living illegally or returned to their home country. The author used a thematic approach to code and analyze the data, combining an integrated data-driven inductive approach with a deductive approach. Concurrent processing and coding were facilitated by employing the Granheim model in data analysis.ResultsThe study identified four risky health behaviors among irregular Bangladeshi migrants: hazardous living conditions, risky jobs, suicidal ideation, and tobacco consumption. Additionally, the authors found some HIV/STI risk behavior among them including engaging in unprotected sex, consuming alcohol and drugs during sexual activity, and having limited access to medical facilities.ConclusionsThe findings of this study can be used by health professional, governments, policymakers, NGOs, and concerned agencies to develop welfare strategies and initiatives for vulnerable undocumented migrant workers.

Examining the Application of a Similar Problem-Based Learning Procedure in Teacher Education and Engineering Education Programs

This multiple case study aims to describe how Turkish students in English Language Teaching (ELT) and Electrical-Electronics Engineering Program (EEP) conceive of Problem-based Learning (PBL), and how they experience their studies within a PBL-oriented curriculum. With the inclusion of these two cases into the study, the rationale is to represent two different educational perspectives and to obtain in-depth, extensive, and comparable data. The participants from the ELT and EEP were first-year students who pursued courses in English, which is taught as a foreign language in Turkiye. During one semester, the data were collected through open-ended questionnaires and reflection reports, both of which were analyzed qualitatively with an interpretative phenomenological approach. The results revealed commonalities as well as differences in how students in these two comparable programs perceived and experienced PBL. Commonalities were many in number and involved positive perceptions along with beneficial experiences of PBL. Yet, differences only stemmed from the number of frequencies of some similar issues raised by both groups of students. The most eye-catching difference was that the EEP students emphasized the anticipated benefits of PBL less frequently than the ELT students did. However, at the end of the process, the EEP students proposed benefits gained from PBL more frequently.

Museum of Extinction

This artistic research project combines an exploration of natural history conservation at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and museology at Museene i Sør-Trøndelag. The exposition is structured around Field Notes: qualitative records of my observations. Taking an ethnographic and interpretive phenomenological approach, I argue my hypothesis through the subjective experiences of the living, as well as the living dead. Drawing a correlation between the utilitarian subjugation of the animal-other and loss of biodiversity, I posit that the re-presentation of animal materialities in art and artefacts has the potential to re-form culture in the time of the sixth extinction.

Financial Toxicity Experiences of Patients With Cancer in Indonesia: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis

ObjectivesFinancial toxicity (FT) is an important adverse effect of cancer. Recent systematic reviews have shown that FT may lead to treatment nonadherence and impaired health-related quality of life, both of which may adversely influence the survival rates of patients. However, less is known about how patients endure FT, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The purpose of this study was to explore how patients with cancer experience and cope with FT in Indonesia. MethodsSemistructured in-depth interviews were conducted to explore the experiences of Indonesian patients with cancer. Qualitative data were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis approach. We purposefully recruited 8 patients undergoing active treatment (aged 27-69 years) who had been diagnosed of cancer over 5 years before and possessed health insurance at the time of diagnosis. ResultsWe identified 2 main themes: (1) the experienced financial burden, with subthemes underinsurance, out-of-pocket nonhealthcare cancer-related costs, and negative income effect from employment disruption, and (2) the financial coping strategies, with subthemes reallocating household budget, seeking family support, rationalizing treatment decisions, and topping up insurance for family members. ConclusionsThis is the first interpretive phenomenological study on FT in the literature and the first qualitative FT study in Indonesia. Our findings provide insight into the occurrence of FT and coping strategies used by Indonesian patients with cancer. The subjective experiences of patients may be considered to further improve oncology care, support the need for measurement of FT, and provide mitigation programs for patients.

Understanding the meaning of the lived experience “maternal role” in women with multiple sclerosis and planning a supportive program: a combined exploratory study protocol

BackgroundThe maternal role is one of the most challenging yet rewarding roles that women experience in their lives. It begins when a woman becomes pregnant, and as the pregnancy progresses, she prepares to fulfill her role as a mother. A woman's health plays a crucial role in her ability to fulfill the maternal role. Multiple sclerosis (MS), as an autoimmune disease, presents unique challenges in achieving this role. Failing to fulfill the maternal role can have lasting consequences for both the mother and the baby. Given the increasing number of women with MS of reproductive age in Iran and the absence of specific programs for this group during pregnancy and postpartum, researchers have decided to develop a supportive program by exploring the meaning of the maternal role and identifying the needs of these women during this period.Methods/materialsThis study will be conducted in 3 stages. The first stage involves a qualitative study to explore the meaning of the "maternal role" in women with MS through a descriptive and interpretive phenomenological approach based on Van Manen's method. Data will be collected through semi-structured interviews with pregnant women with MS and mothers with MS who have children under one-year-old, recruited from the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Mashhad, Iran. The second stage will involve designing a support program based on the findings of the phenomenological study, literature review, and exploratory interviews. A logical model will guide the development of the program, and validation will be conducted using the nominal group technique.DiscussionThis study is the first of its kind in Iran to explore the meaning of the maternal role and develop a support program for women with MS. It is hoped that the results of this study will help address the challenges of motherhood faced by these women.

Experience of naturally occurring peer support among people using psychiatric day-care in China: an interpretative phenomenology approach.

China presently does not have an established peer support system, and the efforts of peer support workers are not acknowledged in the context of the growing global trend of community-based mental rehabilitation. This study aims to examine the first-hand experiences of persons who participate in psychiatric day-care facilities in Shanghai, China, and receive support from their peers. The goal is to gain a better understanding of how these informal peer support programs function and provide valuable knowledge for the establishment of more structured peer support programs that align with Chinese social culture. A total of 14 participants attending psychiatric day-care centres were selected for face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interviews using snowball sampling. The interviews took place between July 2021 and February 2022. The text data of the interview were acquired through transcription and then augmented using the interview scripts and additional resources. The data were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis until the themes reached saturation. A total of three overarching themes and eight corresponding sub-themes were produced: 1. reconstructing a social network: an ordinary interpersonal connection, becoming and conducting oneself, proceeding the process of adaptation in the company of peers; 2. balance and multiple roles within the relationship: selective self-exposure, managing proximity and distance; 3. sense of meaning and sense of community: supporting others while empowering oneself, love as expanding consciousness, advocating for the notion of group identity. This study is the initial examination of the contact and naturally occurring peer support that takes place among individuals in psychiatric day-care centres in China. The study's findings revealed that participants interact with others who have undergone similar conditions in the day-care setting, enabling them to rebuild an important social network. It is crucial to consider the possible benefits of peer support, assess the obstacles, and facilitate the personal recovery of individuals with mental disorders using the theory of recovery.

Pre-service TESOL teachers’ professional-awareness building through reflecting on reflections of critical incidents

AbstractScholars have questioned the effectiveness of reflective practice for gaining professional awareness or attaining professional development. In addition, the prevalence of inadequate comprehensive framework for pre-service teachers’ reflective practice and insufficient support of teacher educators have been noted in the literature. Against these backdrops, the present study attempted to demonstrate how reflecting on reflections, a form of reflective practice, of Critical Incidents (CIs) contributes to building pre-service TESOL teachers’ professional awareness. The study involved ten pre-service teachers (PSTs) in reflecting on reflections of CIs during the teaching practicum. Following the interpretive phenomenological approach, the study unfolded the CIs associated with pedagogical factors, including passive participation of the students, students’ late arrival in the classroom, disobedience to teachers’ instructions, the chaotic environment in the classroom, students’ rude behavior, and disruption caused by technical glitches, and CIs associated with intrapersonal and interpersonal factors, comprising students’ emotional exhaustion and unprofessional behaviors by senior teachers. Subsequently, it illustrated how PSTs cultivated their professional awareness through reflecting on reflections of CIs. The study presented a reflective practice framework applicable to pre-service and in-service teacher education programs. It also provided practical suggestions for pre-service and novice teachers to address and overcome the CIs. Teacher educators and trainers can harness the findings to prepare PSTs to conduct interactive and productive English language classes.

Body mapping as a site to negotiate eating struggles and food insecurity for street-involved and homeless youth

Inspired by critical trauma and embodiment theories, this study aims to illustrate how an arts-based approach such as body mapping assists in exploring the lived experiences of youth, potentially serving as a trauma-informed approach. This qualitative study collaborated with street-involved and homeless youth (SIHY) who have eating struggles while living in situations of food insecurity and other forms of oppression. Eleven participants partook in three individual face-to-face interview sessions and one arts-based body map activity, respectively, at a local SIHY resource centre in a metropolitan city in Canada. Guided by Interpretative Phenomenological Approach (IPA), our findings illustrated how body mapping (1) enabled a deepened understanding of SIHY’s eating struggles as both a form of suffering and an embodied means of coping with food insecurity and other systemic and relational trauma(s); (2) provided a transformative experience leading to greater self-compassion and healing; and (3) served as a trauma-informed method that fostered choice and validation. We attest that, as a creative and supportive clinical and research tool, body mapping taps into the unspoken, expressive, embodied, and somatic aspects of eating struggles, food insecurity, poverty, and other forms of oppression deepening knowledge and informing social work research and practice.

AGENT AND STRUCTURE RELATIONS IN THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS BASED ON HUMANIST AND RELIGIOUS VALUES AT THE PAMULANG UNIVERSITY IN SOUTH TANGERANG

Pamulang University (Unpam), one of the private universities in the South Tangerang area, is established to meet the needs of the community by providing its own uniqueness and receiving very good interest. The uniqueness meant by that is the history of its founding to provide higher education for all people, especially for those people mentioned, the increase and large quantity of registered students, the availability of classes for students with disabilities, adequate lecture facilities, affordable tuition fees, and no building costs. One of the successes that has been achieved to date is the contribution of lecturers in implementing the tridharma of higher education. This is where the lecturer acts as an agent, actor, or agency, as known in Anthony Giddens' structuration theory. As a form of routine that produces social practice, the lecturer's tridharma must reflect humanist and religious values, including in the communication process within the university. These two values are in accordance with those stated in the university's vision, namely, "To become a university ranked in the top 40 at the national level based on humanist and religious values by 2025." This article analyzes the relationship between agents and structures in the communication process based on humanist and religious values at a private university in South Tangerang. The research used a qualitative method with a critical theory paradigm and an interpretive phenomenological approach. The results show that Unpam is able to manage and strive to pursue its vision through the tridharma of higher education, with the contribution of lecturers who act as agents, actors, and agencies. The routine activities of agents form a duality of structure and are related by mutual influence and reciprocity (interplay) that reflect most of the implementation of both humanist and religious values. Forms of communication that are full of humanist values, such as when lecturers greet each other, provide non-differentiating classroom learning, and interact with students and the community in PkM activities, including coordinating work on research activities, Meanwhile, religiousness can be seen in the form of greeting words and sentences, praying before and after activities, religious attributes worn as characteristics, tolerance during worship, the formation of the Institute for Religious Studies, and also religious studies. On the other hand, the role of agents still needs to be optimized as gatekeepers and/or opinion leaders because, as educators, they provide role models, especially for students (predominantly from the marginalized and lower middle class) and also the general public. Meanwhile, the university needs to have an organizational culture to strengthen motivation for academics, direction, and foundation in behavior and attitudes, which can be taken from humanist and religious values, as well as the motto Sharing for the Country, alongside the implementation of a code of ethics, to help realize its vision in 2025

Conspiracy of Silence in Oncological Palliative Care: Perspectives and Strategies of the Healthcare Team

Introduction: Silence about dismal news is common in palliative care, involving patients, family and the healthcare team. This phenomenon of hiding the truth – conspiracy of silence – has negative consequences and deserves attention from professionals. Objective: This study investigates and explores the strategies used by healthcare professionals to prevent and intervene in the conspiracy of silence in the context of oncological palliative care. Method: Cross-sectional qualitative study using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach. The participants were nurses, doctors and a psychologist who work in the palliative care unit of a cancer center. A semi-structured interview was applied to a sample of 12 healthcare professionals. Results: The age of the participants varied between 31 and 64 years old, mostly females, ten nurses, one physician and one psychologist. From the analysis of the interviews, the following themes emerged: perceptionof the phenomenon of the conspiracy of silence; difficulties and challenges in dealing with the conspiracy of silence in palliative care; professionals’ feelings about the conspiracy of silence; strategies to intervene and prevent the conspiracy of silence. Important strategies were reported such as honest communication without impositions, listening to the motivations that led to the silence. Conclusion: Professionals are aware of the ethical duty to tell the truth when faced with a conspiracy of silence. However, continuous training is needed to develop skills for communicating dismal news in clinical settings and in medical education.

Experiences of Parenting an Autistic Individual During Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood in the Indian Context: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Background and aims: The needs of autistic individuals and their families are unique in each developmental phase, but this diversity is more palpable during adolescence. Literature generally presents a view that caregivers experience challenges in caring for autistic children, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where formal support services are uneven or unavailable. The present study explored the lived experiences of parents of autistic adolescents in the Indian context. Methods: In-depth interviews with 12 parents were analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological approach. Results: Three superordinate themes were derived: (a) Acceptance alongside recurring experiences of grief and loss, (b) post-traumatic growth and vicarious transformation, and (c) What after me? Planning for future care services with limited systemic support. Beginning with the initial recognition and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, parents progressed through a series of experiences that strengthened and challenged their understanding and aided in their acceptance. Parents recognize their adolescents’ key attributes, growth, development, and persisting differences that could contribute to future challenges. Grief experiences, however, sporadic, persisted alongside acceptance. Conclusion: Despite challenges, families were adapting to the changing needs of the developmental phases in unique ways, with or without formal support available to them. Nonetheless, there is a considerable need to address the existing gaps and felt needs of parents, focusing on empowering parents and capacity building toward providing comprehensive services to autistic individuals with a lifespan approach.

Comprehensive training guidelines from ethical research associated with information and communication technology and artificial intelligence

Currently, one of the challenges of higher education is to achieve the success of its students personally and professionally, emphasising improvement in technological, ethical, and academic areas that characterise human beings for success. Therefore, higher education must change the traditional way of training to a more humanistic approach framed in the digital era to solve social problems assertively. This research aims to generate comprehensive training guidelines from ethical research associated with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Artificial Intelligence to contribute to developing reflective critical thinking, maturity, and responsibility of individuals who will solve social problems. This study is based on Siemens' theory of connectivism (2004), Kohlberg's theory of moral development (1970), and Bandura's social learning theory (1974). Under the interpretive phenomenological approach, the applied methodological route is qualitative, focused on realities addressed from the context of transformation, using the documentary review technique. The inquiry led to the conclusion of the importance of conducting ethical research processes within technology in higher education to provide the student comprehensively with the knowledge and skills for successful integration into society.

Insights into the experiences of nurse educators in end-of-life care: A qualitative study

AimThis study elucidated the experience of nurse educators instructing practicums for nursing students assigned to the care of end-of-life patients in fundamental nursing education. BackgroundWith the growing population of older adults and increased mortality, nurses providing care for people at the end-of-life stage and their families (referred to as end-of-life nursing) will be increasingly important in Japanese healthcare settings.Acquiring knowledge and action-level methods can be insufficient for nursing students to approach the illness experiences of people at the end of their life and their families, increasing the importance of practicum in end-of-life nursing to enable learning from experience.This situation raised the need to study how nurse educators for nursing care for end-of-life patients experience the situation and what they practice as observed through the educator’s standpoint to devise better teaching methods for end-of-life nursing practica. DesignInterpretative phenomenology was used. MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with six nurse educators. Participants were interviewed about their experiences in teaching nursing students who care for people in the final stages of life. Data were analyzed using Benner's Interpretive phenomenological approach. ResultsNurse educators teaching students assigned to end-of-life patients experienced the [sudden appearance of patients themselves] and were involved in the nursing care for these end-of-life patients. They [seized the opportune “moments” for teaching] while [placing the value of practicum in end-of-life nursing in the “fragments” that students find] and then acknowledged that students were becoming aware of the core values of end-of-life nursing, even though they could not perform the techniques of care. Nurse educators also [recognized students as learners at the “borderline stage”] who are still distinct from nurses and valued students in their current state of development with hopes and expectations for further growth. ConclusionsThis study highlighted the importance of nurse educators leveraging their practical knowledge to provide direct guidance to nursing students in clinical settings. The educators approached patient care with intentionality, prioritizing the well-being of patients while engaging in co-existent care alongside the students. Simultaneously, they respected the nursing students in their transition to becoming nurses, harboring hopes and expectations for continued growth. Concurrently, they were curious about the patient and student. They sought to balance the interests of the two parties representing dissimilar temporality, thereby applying their intuitive embodied intelligence into practice. Such experiences were also interpreted from the temporality of nursing students in a transitional stage of becoming nurses.

Experiences of geophagy during pregnancy among African migrant women in London: Implications for public health interventions

This study explored African migrant women's clay ingestion experiences during pregnancy against a backdrop of health risks warnings in order, to inform public health interventions by the UK Food Standards Agency and Public Health England, now known as the UK Health Security Agency. An interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA) was utilized, and data were collected with a total of 30 participants through individual in-depth interviews and one focus group discussion. Findings showed clay ingestion is a fluid and widely accepted cultural practice among African communities with most participants having been socialized into ingestion during childhood, through family influences and current social networks in their adulthood. Vomiting, nausea, spitting, appetite challenges, and cravings were cited as the main reasons for clay ingestion during pregnancy. With strong claims regarding its effectiveness, clay was ingested every day by most participants, and at times in large quantities despite the potential health risks. This calls for innovative and culturally sensitive public health interventions starting with the inclusion of clay ingestion health risk messages in maternal health nutrition information within antenatal settings. This can be done as part of multilevel interventions informed by life course approaches, which also consider community health messages and an enabling regulatory policy framework focusing on clay sold for human ingestion.

The Potential Hazards of Fake Accounts and Buzzer Behaviour on Deliberative Democracy

The most famous political system globally is deliberative democracy, which involves the participatory engagement of free and fair citizens to achieve common interests through discussion-based reasoning and societal consensus. This system places all citizens on an equal footing in expressing their opinions and is a crucial indicator of the quality of deliberative democracy. The dynamics of deliberative democracy are also mirrored in the digital realm and often serve as indicators of public support. However, the digital sphere of democracy faces a severe threat today due to the proliferation of fake accounts and the practice of paying for buzzer behaviour. This phenomenon necessitates stringent regulation to ensure the continued quality and authenticity of deliberative democracy. This research describes the potential dangers of using fake accounts and paying for buzzer behaviour in politics concerning deliberative democracy. The researchers adopted an interpretive phenomenology approach, drawing data from various relevant sources. The research findings reveal that using fake accounts and paying for buzzer behaviour undermine deliberative democracy as they generate false information, manipulate public opinion, and hinder healthy dialogue. Additionally, using fake accounts and buzzer behaviour has severe psychological and social repercussions, including a decline in public trust and an increase in political polarization, all threatening the quality of democratic decision-making. The results of this research carry significant implications for designing relevant regulations to safeguard the agreed-upon and high-quality deliberative democracy, a vital asset of public governance. Keywords: Fake accounts, buzzer behaviour, cyber trooper, deliberative democracy, virality.

The Experience of Living with Multiple Sclerosis during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Many studies have shown that psychological distress such as worries and anxiety is one of the causes of the development, recurrence, or exacerbation of multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of patients with MS during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using an interpretive phenomenological approach. The participants were selected from patients with MS in Tehran, Iran who were members of the Iranian MS Society in 2021. The research sample included 19 patients with MS who were selected using purposive sampling. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews until the data were saturated. The collected data were analyzed using Van Manen’s phenomenological approach, and the validity and truthfulness of the data were confirmed using the four criteria proposed by Lincoln and Guba. Results: Explication of the data revealed 22 subthemes and 5 main themes. The main themes identified were: Feeling of helplessness and fear of inadequacy in self-care, Economic concerns and financial problems, Ineffective interaction with family members, preoccupations and obsessions with the pandemic, and ambivalent and conflicting beliefs about others. Conclusion: The experiences of those affected by the pandemic were linked to personal and familial concerns, health issues, feelings of inadequacy in self-care, and economic difficulties. Additionally, participants were preoccupied with the pandemic and the social problems they faced. Gaining an understanding of these experiences can offer valuable insights to medical professionals, families of patients, and relevant organizations regarding the lived experiences of individuals with MS.

Young adult migrants' social experiences in Sweden: ‘Melting pot’ and ‘salad bowl’ perspectives on social integration

AbstractFramed within the social constructionist interpretive phenomenological approach, I explore the perceptions and social experiences of two Arab girls living in Sweden. A phenomenological interpretive analysis was used to examine the unstructured in‐depth interviews. The research focuses on the migrants' perceptions of social integration framed as a ‘melting pot’ to a ‘salad bowl’ integration. The ‘melting pot’ is a metaphor for assimilationists' perspectives on integration which means melting down into a new identity while losing oneself. This was expressed as submission, drawing a line of ‘differences’ between ‘successful’ and ‘unsuccessful’ integration. Contrary, ‘salad bowl’ is a metaphor for social integration as a process of creating and nurturing social connections that lead to co‐existence with trust, reciprocity, and a sense of belonging. I present a two‐fold argument connecting social resilience and social integration as the foundation of migrants' social experiences in the host country: (1) the visibility of migrants as ‘beings’ rather than ‘becomings’ should guide the pragmatic approach to integration; and (2) the social and political space for migrants should include their voices and engagement in right‐based policies, as well as a shared sense of responsibilities, connectedness, and co‐existence.

Compassionate care during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundThere was a substantial documented call for healthcare professionals to provide compassionate care during the COVID-19 pandemic and significant criticism voiced when it was lacking. This study aimed to explore perspectives on compassionate care among healthcare professionals providing care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focuses on healthcare professionals who participated in a wide range of COVID-19 measures, including testing, quarantine, diagnosis, and care provision (patients with COVID-19 or patients with other illnesses and comorbid with COVID-19).MethodsA qualitative design with an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach was used. Twenty frontline healthcare professionals (15 nurses and five physicians) who had worked in COVID-19 facilities in China were interviewed individually.ResultsParticipants stated that a commitment to ‘offering oneself’ and ‘balancing the advantages/disadvantages’ in providing care during the pandemic were key to alleviate population-level suffering. On a personal level, they described a desire for obtaining ‘mutual support’ and improving ‘professional competencies’ to safeguard their physical and mental well-being. Two professional competencies were notable: coping with grief and implementing infection control across the organization. Additionally, they emphasized the importance of receiving support from the health care organization, the public, and leaders in creating an ‘environment conducive to fostering compassionate care.’ConclusionHealthcare professionals recognized the centrality of compassionate care during the pandemic which entailed a commitment to offering themselves, the balancing of advantages and disadvantages in order to find the best solution, as well as the need to safeguard themselves using professional competencies. Such findings can enrich the contemporary understanding of compassion, including when it is lacking. Support from the healthcare organization, the public, and leadership were crucial in fostering compassionate care in healthcare professionals during the pandemic and in moving the field forward in the future.