In what ways might group clinical supervision affect the development of resilience in hospice nurses?

Abstract

BACKGROUND\nResilience is important to sustain hospice nurses through a challenging career. Clinical supervision is a commonly cited support strategy, but there is limited evidence which focuses on its influence on the development of resilience in hospice nurses.\n\n\nAIMS\nTo explore how group clinical supervision might affect the development of resilience in hospice nurses.\n\n\nMETHOD\nA pragmatic approach and mixed methods research design was employed. Quantitative questionnaire data and qualitative focus group data were collected from community hospice nurses participating in group clinical supervision.\n\n\nFINDINGS\nThe findings identified the importance of an effective group reflective process on the benefits to be gained from clinical supervision. Clinical supervision was found to affect the development of resilience by developing confidence at work, regulating emotions, offering a coping strategy, managing expectations, and developing self-awareness. This was dependent upon individual preference and experience, the local organisational context, and wider social and political factors.\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nThis research contributes insight into group clinical supervision as an intervention to support resilience in hospice nurses. It offers recommendations for practice, to enhance the development of resilience through clinical supervision, and recommendations for future research.