Explaining Midwives’ Experiences in Adjusting to the Role of Healthcare Providers in Health Transformation Plan in Iran: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background Due to their exhaustive tasks and multiple delegated responsibilities, midwives face numerous intricacies as healthcare providers after the implementation of the health transformation plan. This role shift compels them to fulfill their responsibilities in their new positions despite its incompatibility with the capacities of the academic field and the nature of the profession. The present study explains midwives’ experiences in adjusting to the role of healthcare providers in the health transformation plan in Iran. Methods This qualitative study collected data with open-ended questions In-depth semi-structured interviews with 18 midwives working in the healthcare centers of Urmia in West Azerbaijan and analyzed them using Zhang and Wildemuth’s 8-step conventional content analysis approach run in the MAXQDA software. Results Data analysis led to the emergence of two themes, seven main categories, and 19 subcategories. The first theme, namely ‘efficient adjustment’, encompassed two main categories: ‘providing high-quality services’ and ‘inner satisfaction’, and the second theme, i.e., ‘inefficient adjustment’, was explained by five main categories, including ‘low-quality services’, ‘reduced utilization’, ‘emotional fatigue’, ‘systemic bullying’, and ‘changes in social expectations’. Conclusion It seems that being satisfied with providing services to clients and accountability are the paramount factors associated with healthcare midwives’ adjustment, and this job satisfaction depends on the specialty of delegated responsibilities, correction of the rules in this plan, and preservation of midwives’ dignity and career grace.