Navigating Workplace Challenges: Lived Experiences of Job Order Nurses In A Selected Government Hospital

This qualitative descriptive phenomenological study explores the lived experiences and professional challenges of 15 Job Order (JO) nurses at a public hospital in Bulacan during the academic year 2025–2026. Purposive sampling selected participants with at least six months of continuous service, and data gathered via semi-structured interviews were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven steps. Findings reveal a bifurcated labor force in which contractual personnel perform identical clinical tasks to permanent staff but operate under a restrictive "no work, no pay" framework, lacking mandatory benefits, hazard pay, and continuing training. These structural limitations induce emotional distress, financial strain, and institutional marginalization. To preserve clinical functionality and combat burnout, frontline practitioners rely on peer support, financial budgeting, and deep vocational endurance. Administrative outcomes provide evidence-based insights to guide nursing leadership in developing a hospital management plan, optimizing staffing policies, and establishing equitable workplace systems. Concurrently, the study addresses a localized gap in the literature, positioning existential and vocational endurance as empirical contributions to Philippine public health policy.