Spirituality of hopeful risk-taking (Bahala na) among Filipino healthcare workers

Background Mental health problems are prevalent among medical frontliners, as demonstrated in the study by Ghaleb et al. in the case of the Eastern Mediterranean Region. As mental health can be strengthened by spirituality, this study probed into the spirituality of bahala na of overseas Filipino health care workers. Methodology A phenomenological research was conducted that includes an interview of 17 Filipino Catholic migrant nurses in five countries, on the situations when they find themselves exclaiming “bahala na” in their work as frontliners, and what this means for them. Results Affirming the notion of bahala na as an expression of hopeful risk-taking, the study showed that the nurses usually exclaim bahala na when they have done everything in their power in a given situation and they are now leaving the rest to God. The spirituality of bahala na helped the nurses face the stresses brought about by the pandemic, and when tapped, can further aid them in fighting against institutional racism to promote health equity in the medical community.