The clinic supervisory system as experienced by nurse supervisors

A lack of proper monitoring and supervision of clinics in the King William's Town Health District (Eastern Cape) was highlighted by members of the public in the local newspaper, The Daily Dispatch, during 1999. A clinic audit conducted by the Health Information Unit of the King William's Town Health District further revealed the inadequacies of clinic supervision in this district. This article describes the qualitative study that was conducted with the aim of optimising clinic supervision in this health district. The study brought to light two issues that appear to be paramount in ensuring optimal clinic supervision. These are: The importance of formal and informal preparation of clinic supervisors for the supervisory role The support system that the clinic supervisors require to perform their duties effectively. The focus of this article will be on the discussion of the research findings as well as guidelines that were developed to optimise clinic supervision.