Hybrid Learning Under Pressure: Academic Outcomes and Life Balance of Working Filipino Nurse-Parents Pursuing Graduate Degrees
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65339/ijsis.V1.I2.111Keywords:
Academic Outcomes, Filipino Nurses, Graduate Studies, Hybrid Learning, Life Balance, Nurse Parents, Phenomenology, Support Systems, Work-Life Balance, Working StudentsAbstract
This study explored the lived experiences of working Filipino nurse-parents enrolled in hybrid graduate nursing programs, examining how they navigate academic responsibilities alongside professional nursing and parenting roles. Grounded in a constructivist paradigm and informed by Goode's Role Strain and Conflict Theory, the Work-Life Balance perspective, and Deci and Ryan's Self-Determination Theory, the research employed a qualitative phenomenological approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with eight licensed Filipino nurse-parents residing in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, who were selected through purposive sampling. The findings revealed that hybrid learning serves as both an enabler and a burden, providing flexibility and accessibility through recorded lectures and asynchronous materials while simultaneously imposing cognitive strain, emotional fatigue, and divided attention. Participants experienced fragmented and unpredictable schedules, persistent physical and emotional exhaustion, child-centered prioritization leading to guilt and emotional conflict, and reliance on support systems from family, workplace, and academic institutions. Despite these challenges, participants reported personal and professional development, including strengthened resilience, discipline, self-awareness, and time-management skills. The study concludes that more responsive, family-centered, and compassionate approaches to graduate education are needed to recognize and support the complex circumstances of working nurse-parents. The study aligns with SDG 4 (Quality Education) by promoting inclusive and equitable graduate education for working adult learners, and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) by addressing the wellbeing of healthcare professionals. The sustainability impact lies in institutional and policy recommendations for nursing education and healthcare administration to create supportive learning environments, flexible workplace policies, and comprehensive support systems that enable nurse-parents to achieve academic success while maintaining their health, family relationships, and professional responsibilities.
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