COPING WITH COVID-19: THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS FROM A UNIVERSITY IN MANILA

Abstract

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it had a profound impact worldwide. In which, the next generation of Medical Technologists had a completely different experience in terms of learning as a result of the health crisis and government regulations. This study investigates the challenges encountered due to the personal and environmental factors surrounding the students, as well as characterizes and understands their experiences and their coping mechanisms. The students of the University of Santo Tomas from the Bachelor of Science Medical Technology course were interviewed for this phenomenological study, highlighting their COVID-19 experiences, the challenges, and coping techniques. A non-random, purposive selection of 12 Filipino Medical Technology students was used for the interview. The findings revealed that the Filipino Medical Technology students who faced such challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic were as follows: (1) academic challenges such as underdeveloped practical skills, feelings of burnout, lack of confidence, future anxiety, underdeveloped practical skills, and difficulties in feedback; (2) ergonomic challenges consisting of environmental factors, external factors cognitive, organizational, and object; (3) Economic difficulties surrounded by leisure constraints, unstable employment, and harsh working conditions, inequitable expenses, financial adaptation, and functional discomfort; and (4) socio-civic challenges centered on physical distance, a lack of support system, social media use, emotional and mental capacity, and miscommunication. The researchers analyzed the findings from the interviews using the Lazarus and Folkman (1984) Theory of Stress and Coping and noteworthy remarks from the transcribed interviews to discover both the problems and coping techniques utilized by the interviewees.