Voices on Fire: Narratives on Nurse Activism Amid Power Dynamics in the Philippines

This study explored the narratives of 10 Filipino nurse activists who transformed experiences of suffering, exploitation, and professional marginalization into organized resistance and advocacy. In the Philippine context, nurses continue to face poor working conditions, inadequate compensation, migration pressures, and political threats such as red-tagging, yet little is known about how they navigate the shift from endurance to activism. Guided by narrative inquiry and informed by Foucauldian archeology and genealogy, the study examined interviews alongside position statements and news articles to uncover the emotional, social, and political dimensions of nurse activism. Findings revealed that mentors, early encounters with injustice, and formative acts of defiance shaped participants' entry into advocacy. Silence, hesitation, and institutional or familial disapproval also emerged as meaningful aspects of their experiences, reflecting the risks and sacrifices tied to public dissent. Participants developed heightened awareness of systemic inequities through volunteer work, the invisibility of nursing labor, and community-based experiences, motivating advocacy for both fellow nurses and marginalized populations. Despite suppression, disillusionment, and migration pressures, participants sustained activism through research, education, alliance-building, and community engagement, reframing activism as an extension of care and social accountability. The findings highlight activism as a gradual and evolving process shaped by courage, vulnerability, and persistence, with implications for nursing education, organizational advocacy, and health policy reform in the Philippines.