Clinical supervision UK style: good for nurses and nursing?

Area of Science:

• Nursing Studies
• Social Sciences in Health
• Philosophy of Healthcare

Background:

• Clinical supervision is a mandatory requirement for nurses in the United Kingdom (UK).
• Existing literature widely promotes clinical supervision as beneficial for nurses and nursing practice.
• The established positive perception of clinical supervision is prevalent in the UK nursing context.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically interrogate the conceptualisation of clinical supervision in British nursing.
• To analyse the rising popularity and influence of clinical supervision through a specific theoretical lens.
• To challenge the unproblematic acceptance of clinical supervision's benefits.

Main Methods:

• Utilisation of a Foucauldian approach.
• Analysis of discourse, power-knowledge, and the clinical gaze.
• Critical interrogation of existing literature and conceptualisations.

Main Results:

• The study reveals underlying power dynamics within the discourse of clinical supervision.
• It questions the assumed positive impact of clinical supervision on nurses and nursing.
• The Foucauldian lens exposes complexities and potential limitations of the current model.

Conclusions:

• The conceptualisation of clinical supervision in British nursing warrants critical re-evaluation.
• The perceived benefits of clinical supervision may be influenced by power structures and discourse.
• Further research is needed to explore alternative or nuanced models of clinical supervision.