{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T15:06:44Z","timestamp":1785424004922,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"AOSIS","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]],"date-time":"2026-04-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776384000000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background:\u00a0The midwife specialists (MS) are trained midwifery professionals with advanced knowledge and skills to perform interventions to respond to complicated maternal and neonatal conditions. A midwife specialist is expected to function independently and interdependently with other healthcare professionals such as obstetricians and paediatricians. However, studies have shown that the circumstances within public hospitals could be more favourable to the midwife specialist\u2019s independent and autonomous practice.\nAim:\u00a0This study aims to explore and describe obstetricians\u2019 perceptions of midwife specialists\u2018 roles in public hospitals in South Africa.\nSetting:\u00a0The study was conducted in the selected public hospitals in South Africa.\nMethods:\u00a0Authors followed a qualitative, descriptive, explorative research design. Data collection took place between March 2022 and June 2022. Purposive sampling was utilised to sample nine obstetricians to participate in online individual semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using Colaizzi\u2019s seven-step method.\nResults:\u00a0Three themes emerged. In theme 1, midwife specialists are skilled professionals practicing with limitations. In theme 2, there is an absence of the specific scope of practice (SOP) for midwife specialists\u2019. In theme 3, they are defensive practitioners with over-reliance on physicians and clinical records.\nConclusion:\u00a0The SOP should be revised to grant midwife specialists full professional and legal authority to practice independently. Removing these limitations would enable them to collaborate effectively with physicians, ensuring safe and comprehensive maternal and neonatal care.\nContribution:\u00a0This study highlights the state of midwife specialists practice in the public hospitals of South Africa. Obstetricians elucidate various barriers to midwife specialists autonomous and collaborative midwifery care.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/phcfm.v18i1.5276","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,15]],"date-time":"2026-04-15T07:56:41Z","timestamp":1776239801000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Obstetricians\u2019 perceptions of midwife specialists\u2019 roles in South Africa"],"prefix":"10.4102","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8974-4660","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kagiso P.","family":"Tukisi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04z6c2n17","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Johannesburg"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3345-4717","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zelda","family":"Janse van Rensburg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04z6c2n17","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Johannesburg"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0864-5834","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wanda","family":"Jacobs","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04z6c2n17","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Johannesburg"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2580","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","unstructured":"Sellers PM, Dippenaar J, Serra D, Sellers\u2019 midwifery [homepage on the Internet]. Juta and Company [Pty] Ltd; 2018 [cited 2024 Jun 13]. Available from: https:\/\/search.ebscohost.com\/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=nlebk&AN=1682526&site=ehost-live&scope=site"},{"key":"ref1","unstructured":"South African Nursing Council (SANC). Competencies for midwife specialist [homepage on the Internet]. Pretoria: SANC; 2014 [cited 2024 Sep 09]. Available from: https:\/\/www.sanc.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/SANC-Competencies-Midwife-Specialist.pdf"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mathole T, Lembani M, Jackson D, Zarowsky C, Bijlmakers L, Sanders D. Leadership and the functioning of maternal health services in two rural district hospitals in South Africa. Health Policy Plann. 2018;33(suppl 2):ii5\u201315. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/heapol\/czx174","DOI":"10.1093\/heapol\/czx174"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Adeyemo OO, Morelli EE, Kennedy HP. 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