Priya Martin

Twelve tips for effective clinical supervision based on a narrative literature review and expert opinion

Background: Clinical supervision has gained wide recognition in recent years as an essential component of a practitioners continuing professional development. However, confusion exists in professional literature regarding the most effective models, styles, processes and methods of clinical supervision. Aim: This article outlines the elements required to establish and sustain an effective clinical supervision arrangement for health professionals, based on current evidence and the authors expert opinion. Conclusion: A set of practical strategies are proposed to assist practitioners to establish an ongoing, effective clinical supervision partnership.

Oceans apart, yet connected: Findings from a qualitative study on professional supervision in rural and remote allied health services

Abstract Objective Improving the quality and safety of health care in Australia is imperative to ensure the right treatment is delivered to the right person at the right time. Achieving this requires appropriate clinical governance and support for health professionals, including professional supervision. This study investigates the usefulness and effectiveness of and barriers to supervision in rural and remote Queensland. Design As part of the evaluation of the Allied Health Rural and Remote Training and Support program, a qualitative descriptive study was conducted involving semi‐structured interviews with 42 rural or remote allied health professionals, nine operational managers and four supervisors. The interviews explored perspectives on their supervision arrangements, including the perceived usefulness, effect on practice and barriers. Results Themes of reduced isolation; enhanced professional enthusiasm, growth and commitment to the organisation; enhanced clinical skills, knowledge and confidence; and enhanced patient safety were identified as perceived outcomes of professional supervision. Time, technology and organisational factors were identified as potential facilitators as well as potential barriers to effective supervision. Conclusions This research provides current evidence on the impact of professional supervision in rural and remote Queensland. A multidimensional model of organisational factors associated with effective supervision in rural and remote settings is proposed identifying positive supervision culture and a good supervisor–supervisee fit as key factors associated with effective arrangements.

Factors influencing the perceived quality of clinical supervision of occupational therapists in a large Australian state

BACKGROUND/AIM Clinical supervision is important for effective health service delivery, professional development and practice. Despite its importance there is a lack of evidence regarding the factors that improve its quality. This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence the quality of clinical supervision of occupational therapists employed in a large public sector health service covering mental health, paediatrics, adult physical and other practice areas. METHODS A mixed method, sequential explanatory study design was used consisting of two phases. This article reports the quantitative phase (Phase One) which involved administration of the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale (MCSS-26) to 207 occupational therapists. RESULTS Frequency of supervision sessions, choice of supervisor and the type of supervision were found to be the predictor variables with a positive and significant influence on the quality of clinical supervision. Factors such as age, length of supervision and the area of practice were found to be the predictor variables with a negative and significant influence on the quality of clinical supervision. CONCLUSION Factors that influence the perceived quality of clinical supervision among occupational therapists have been identified. High quality clinical supervision is an important component of clinical governance and has been shown to be beneficial to practitioners, patients and the organisation. Information on factors that make clinical supervision effective identified in this study can be added to existing supervision training and practices to improve the quality of clinical supervision.

Enablers of and barriers to high quality clinical supervision among occupational therapists across Queensland in Australia: findings from a qualitative study

BackgroundHealth professionals practising in countries with dispersed populations such as Australia rely on clinical supervision for professional support. While there are directives and guidelines in place to govern clinical supervision, little is known about how it is actually conducted and what makes it effective. The purpose of this study was to explore the enablers of and barriers to high quality clinical supervision among occupational therapists across Queensland in Australia.MethodsThis qualitative study took place as part of a broader project. Individual, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with occupational therapy supervisees in Queensland. The interviews explored the enablers of and barriers to high quality clinical supervision in this group. They further explored some findings from the initial quantitative study.ResultsContent analysis of the interview data resulted in eight themes. These themes were broadly around the importance of the supervisory relationship, the impact of clinical supervision and the enablers of and barriers to high quality clinical supervision.DiscussionThis study identified a number of factors that were perceived to be associated with high quality clinical supervision. Supervisor-supervisee matching and fit, supervisory relationship and availability of supervisor for support in between clinical supervision sessions appeared to be associated with perceptions of higher quality of clinical supervision received. Some face-to-face contact augmented with telesupervision was found to improve perceptions of the quality of clinical supervision received via telephone. Lastly, dual roles where clinical supervision and line management were provided by the same person were not considered desirable by supervisees. A number of enablers of and barriers to high quality clinical supervision were also identified.ConclusionWith clinical supervision gaining increasing prominence as part of organisational and professional governance, this study provides important lessons for successful and sustainable clinical supervision in practice contexts.

Peer Supervision: International problems and prospects

Clinical supervision is the least investigated, discussed and developed aspect of clinical education (Kilminster & Jolly, 2000) despite being essential within initial professional training and mandated by governments. Even the basic concepts lack precision (Martin, Kumar, & Lizarondo, 2017; Milne, 2007; White, 2017). A popular form of supervision is peer supervision, especially peer group supervision (PGS). On the basis of our summary of the available literature, we offer a logical definition of PGS, then adopt an international perspective to consider some worrying weaknesses and working solutions.

When I say … clinical supervision

Imagine this: you are a health professional working as part of a team when you notice a newly qualified health professional, a recent addition to the team, struggling to cope with the pressures of everyday health care service delivery. What can you do to support this newly qualified health professional specifically and to protect the health system more broadly? Clinical supervision may be the solution! It is not uncommon for health organisations to promote the clinical supervision of health professionals to enhance professional support as part of systemwide clinical governance processes. However, although the popularity of clinical supervision is growing, its impact is difficult to quantify. Why? Often because of a lack of understanding of what clinical supervision actually is and the ambiguity associated with its nomenclature. The purpose of this short paper is to shed light on what clinical supervision is, and is not, in the context of continuing professional development.

A systematic review of the factors that influence the quality and effectiveness of telesupervision for health professionals

Introduction Whilst telesupervision (clinical supervision undertaken using communication technology) is being used more frequently, there is limited information on what factors influence its effectiveness and quality. We undertook this systematic review to address this gap. Methods Eligible telesupervision studies were identified following targeted search of electronic databases and the grey literature. Data were synthesised thematically, resulting in development of core themes. Results We identified 286 papers for initial relevancy screening by title and abstract. The full text of 36 papers were then retrieved and assessed for further relevance. A total of 11 papers were included in the final analysis. We identified eight themes that contribute to effective and high-quality telesupervision: supervisee characteristics, supervisor characteristics, supervision characteristics, supervisory relationship, communication strategies, prior face-to-face contact, environmental factors and technological considerations. Conclusion From the available evidence, telesupervision can be a feasible and acceptable form of clinical supervision if set up well. Further studies with robust designs are required to strengthen the existing evidence on what makes telesupervision effective, as well as to examine its cost-effectiveness.

Choice of clinical supervisor: Cunning or collusion?

Health professionals are increasingly expected to do more with less. A resource-constrained healthcare environment, expanding scope of clinical roles and increased demand for healthcare all contribute to this seeming conundrum. Consequently, health professionals are relying more on professional support mechanisms in the workplace (Saxby, Wilson & Newcombe, 2015). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Effective use of technology in clinical supervision

Clinical supervision is integral to continuing professional development of health professionals. With advances in technology, clinical supervision too can be undertaken using mediums such as videoconference, email and teleconference. This mode of clinical supervision is termed as telesupervision. While telesupervision could be useful in any context, its value is amplified for health professionals working in rural and remote areas where access to supervisors within the local work environment is often diminished. While telesupervision offers innovative means to undertake clinical supervision, there remain gaps in the literature in terms of its parameters of use in clinical practice. This article outlines ten evidence-informed, practical tips stemming from a review of the literature that will enable health care stakeholders to use technology effectively and efficiently while undertaking clinical supervision. By highlighting the “how to” aspect, telesupervision can be delivered in the right way, to the right health professional, at the right time.

Good, bad or indifferent: a longitudinal multi-methods study comparing four modes of training for healthcare professionals in one Australian state

Objectives The aim of the study was to compare the differences in learning outcomes for supervision training of healthcare professionals across four modes namely face-to-face, videoconference, online and blended modes. Furthermore, changes sustained at 3 months were examined. Design/methods A multimethods quasi-experimental longitudinal design was used. Data were collected at three points—before training, immediately after training and at 3 months post-training. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through anonymous surveys and reflective summaries, respectively. Results Participants reported an increase in supervision knowledge and confidence immediately after training that was sustained at 3 months with all four modalities of training. Using analysis of variance, we found these changes were sustained at 3 months postcompletion (confidence p<0.01 and knowledge p<0.01). However, there was no statistically significant difference in outcomes between the four modes of training delivery (confidence, p=0.22 or knowledge, p=0.39). Reflective summary data highlighted the differences in terminology used by participant to describe their experiences across the different modes, the key role of the facilitator in training delivery and the merits and risks associated with online training. Conclusions When designed and delivered carefully, training can achieve comparable outcomes across all four modes of delivery. Regardless of the mode of delivery, the facilitator in training delivery is critical in ensuring positive outcomes.