Meaning, moral resilience and pandemic nursing: A phenomenological study

BackgroundFrontline nurses and nurse leaders faced profound psychological, ethical, and professional challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Less attention has been given to how meaning in life supports moral resilience and ethical nursing practice during prolonged public health crises.Research question/aimThis study aimed to explore how frontline nurses and nurse leaders experienced pandemic-related stress, constructed meaning in life, and developed moral resilience within pandemic clinical settings.Research designA descriptive phenomenological design was used, and data were analysed using Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological method.Participants and research contextSemi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 18 participants, including 14 frontline nurses and four nurse leaders, from four hospitals in southern Taiwan.Ethical considerationsThe study was approved by an institutional review board, and all participants provided informed consent.FindingsThree major categories were identified: crisis conditions and ethical pressures, meaning-making as a source of moral resilience, and transformative meaning, professional identity, and moral agency. Meaning-making enabled frontline nurses to connect suffering with patient care, teamwork, and professional commitment, while nurse leaders constructed meaning through staff support, ethical decision-making, and reflective leadership.DiscussionMeaning in life functioned not only as a psychological coping resource but also as an ethical resource supporting moral resilience, moral agency, and professional identity.ConclusionsMeaning-centred reflection, moral resilience training, peer support, and reflective leadership development should be incorporated into organisational crisis preparedness to strengthen ethical nursing practice during future public health emergencies.