Abstract
The aim of the study was to evaluate nurse specialist students’ views of clinical supervision (CS) and its influence on their professional competence development. An additional aim was to interpret the results and link them to non-technical skills and Patient Safety (PS) topics. The research question was: What are the benefits of clinical supervision focusing on non-technical skills in the area of PS? A cross-sectional study of 46 nurse specialist students was conducted by means of questionnaires and exploratory factor analysis. Factors that influenced the nurse specialist students’ competencies were: interpersonal, professional and communication skills in addition to awareness of ethical skills, the importance of teamwork and the benefit of involving patients and their family members in safe care. The results were linked to non-technical skills and PS competencies. Clinical supervision is crucial for the development of non-technical skills and PS competencies among nurse specialist students. However, finding time to reflect and learn from the supervision was reported to be a problem. Over half of the students stated they did not have enough time for supervision. Thus, there is a potential for quality improvement. We recommend that universities should provide formal educational programmes for supervisors focusing on the professional development of students, especially in the area of non-technical skills. In conclusion, CS should be prioritised by management and clinical leaders as it enhances PS.
Highlights
This study focuses on nurse specialist students (NSS) in the final phase of their postgraduate education in surgical, oncology, anaesthesia and intensive care nursing
We recommend that universities should provide formal educational programmes for supervisors focusing on the professional development of students, especially in the area of non-technical skills
We focused on the influence of clinical supervision (CS) on professional development related to Patient Safety (PS)
Summary
This study focuses on nurse specialist students (NSS) in the final phase of their postgraduate education in surgical, oncology, anaesthesia and intensive care nursing. An article by Proctor [5] identified three components of supervision: normative (standard setting), formative (development) and restorative (support), which have been adopted by the nursing profession as key elements in the CS literature [6]. These three components have stood the test of time, the purpose and content of CS encompasses one or a combination of the following: a learning, supportive and monitoring process [6]. CS is defined as a pedagogical human development process, in which the participants raise questions, explore, explain and systematize care experiences from a perspective that is considered holistic in the professional context [7]
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