Midwives’ experiences regarding adverse events in obstetric units of the selected district of Gauteng province, South Africa

Abstract

Adverse events are a global challenge and the leading cause of litigation in the world. In the current study, a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive design was used to explore and describe the experiences of midwives in relation to adverse events that occurred in the obstetric units of the selected district of Gauteng province, South Africa. Non-probability purposeful sampling was used to select 25 midwives who work in obstetric units in the selected district of Gauteng Province, South Africa, In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with each participant at their workplace. Tesch method was used to analyse the data. Measures to ensure the trustworthiness of the study were observed. The study results revealed that midwives experienced a lack of recognition and acknowledgment of their efforts; poor support and unequal opportunities; blame, litigation, and psychological effects due to adverse events. The failure to recognize, acknowledge, and support midwives during an adverse event had a detrimental effect on productivity and affected the quality of maternal health care. For midwives to provide maternal health care services effectively regardless of an AE, adequate support, effective communication, and referral for appropriate counseling were recommended.