Expert supervisors' views of clinical supervision: a study of factors promoting and inhibiting the achievements of multiprofessional team supervision.

BACKGROUND

Only a few studies are available of team supervision and its challenges to supervisors. A multiprofessional team supervision project was accomplished in 1995-1998 in one university hospital in Finland. Eighty-two practitioners from five wards participated in the project and 10 experienced supervisors implemented their team supervision.

AIM

The aim of this qualitative study is to describe the experiences of five supervisor pairs (n=10) of multiprofessional team supervision.

METHODS

Data were collected by semi-structured interviews from the supervisor pairs. The interviewing style was open and followed that of a guided conversation between supervisors and researcher. Interview data were analysed using thematic content analysis.

FINDINGS

The factors that influenced team supervision were as follows: advanced knowledge of supervision and confidence in supervisors, commitment and motivation, interaction and collaborative relationships and the arrangements of team supervision. The positive effects of team supervision as identified by the supervisors were as follows: influence on interaction and human relationships in the work community, supervisees' strengthened professional identity and the development of multiprofessional practice.

CONCLUSIONS

Several factors can promote or inhibit the achievements of team supervision. Regardless of all the difficulties related to team supervision, its effects on a work community are positive. For the supervisors, team supervision is a demanding and challenging but also a rewarding process.