Clinical supervision--experience of 10 nurses of a 2-year process-oriented supervision

Abstract

Many patients in swedish hospital care today are older, more physically and mentally ill and in need of much care. Despite this there is a strong urge for higher cost-effectiveness and shorter hospital stays. Both these trends are often reported to be important sources of stress and burn-out among nurses. One way of reducing such effects among nurses could be clinical supervision. The present study is a result of one two-year long process-oriented supervision programme for nurses, led by the authors. The method in this study consisted of semi-structured interviews of 10 nurses joining the programme. The main questions in the interviews concerned; a) what knowledge they had acquired through the programme; b) if the programme had contributed to their understanding of others' feelings and reactions and; c) whether the programme had influenced their cooperation with others. The main conclusion from the interviews was that the programme had given them more courage and a more pronounced experience of support from colleagues. It was also found that the programme had improved their sense of professionalism and their self-image. These results point to the value of offering nurses possibilities for supervision, giving opportunities for both personal and professional development and thus preventing burn-outs.