Rainbow within and beyond: A qualitative study on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender staff nurses in the Philippine hospital settings.

Background: An individual's sexual orientation plays a fundamental role in their self-identity, relationships, and health. Years have shown both progressive and regressive responses to the LGBT community's social acceptance, particularly observable in various areas. Yet existing literature overlooks the Filipino healthcare settings, particularly with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) staff nurses. Exploring their perspectives and experiences, whether challenges or successes, is crucial for gaining insights into occupational matters, workplace dynamics, and policy development.

Objective: The research aimed to explore the lived experiences of LGBT staff nurses in the hospital settings.

Methods: Husserl's Transcendental Phenomenology research design was utilized in this study. Participants included LGBT staff nurses with at least a year of experience at any hospital department. Individualized unstructured interviews were conducted with three participants interviewed face-to-face and five through online video conferencing platforms from March to April 2024. All interviews were transcribed, coded, themed, and analyzed using Colaizzi's approach. Data saturation was achieved with eight participants.

Results: Seven themes emerged, including: Recognizing Gender Stereotypes, Optimizing Nursing Care, Yearning for Acceptance, Generating Meaningful Relationships, Battling Heteronormative Gender Norms, Inspiring Potentials beyond Gender and Profession, and Valuing the Progress of LGBT Inclusivity.

Conclusion: The study revealed that LGBT staff nurses had multifaceted experiences with patients, colleagues, and superiors in the hospital settings as their workplace. They faced gender stereotyping and battled against limits on expression but fought to defend their authentic identities. They built relationships with colleagues and strived to be defined beyond societal perceptions. As they yearn for amplified LGBT acceptance in the workplace and society, they expressed gratitude for progress towards acceptance of the LGBT community.