The Culture of Interprofessional Practice in Maternal and Child Healthcare: an Axiological Study of Nursing, Midwifery, Health Information, Healthcare Security, Medical Secretariat, and Administrative Management Roles in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Interprofessional practice has become a central focus in contemporary healthcare research; however, it is most often examined through technical, competency-based, or outcome-oriented frameworks. Such approaches, while valuable, tend to overlook the cultural and value-based dimensions through which interprofessional collaboration is enacted in everyday healthcare work. This study reconceptualizes interprofessional practice in maternal and child healthcare as a cultural and axiological phenomenon, emphasizing values, meanings, and lived professional interactions rather than procedural coordination alone.

Using a qualitative interpretive design grounded in axiological inquiry, the study synthesizes evidence from peer-reviewed systematic reviews and meta-analyses published between 2010 and 2023. The analysis focuses on interprofessional collaboration across nursing, midwifery, health information, healthcare security, medical secretariat, and administrative management roles. A thematic axiological synthesis was conducted to identify core values embedded in interprofessional practice and to interpret how these values are enacted across diverse professional roles within healthcare institutions.

The findings reveal that interprofessional practice is sustained by five interrelated axiological themes: care as a shared moral commitment, trust and relational accountability, negotiated responsibility, safety as an ethical and cultural practice, and coordination as a source of institutional belonging. These values are not confined to clinical professions but are distributed across administrative and support roles, highlighting interprofessional practice as a collective moral enterprise rather than a profession-specific function.

By situating interprofessional practice within the Saudi maternal and child healthcare context, the study addresses a significant gap in the literature concerning culturally grounded and non-Western perspectives. The findings contribute to philosophical discussions on healthcare work by demonstrating that interprofessional collaboration operates as a value-enacting cultural practice that shapes professional identity, organizational culture, and ethical responsibility. This axiological perspective aligns with Cultura’s focus on meaning, values, and lived social practices, offering a deeper understanding of interprofessional healthcare beyond instrumental performance metrics.