Outcomes related to effective nurse supervision in long-term care homes: an integrative review

The aim of this integrative review was to describe the organisational, unregulated nurse, and resident outcomes associated with effective supervisory performance of regulated nurses (registered nurses or registered practical nurses) in long-term care homes.

While there are data on the influence of regulated nurse staffing levels on resident outcomes, the influence of effective supervisory performance of regulated nurses on resident and organisational outcomes, nursing assistant outcomes have yet to be comprehensively explored.

A search of six databases was made for articles dating from 2000 to 2015. Twenty-four articles were selected and an integrative review was performed.

Effective nurse supervision had statistically significant positive associations (P < 0.05, P < 0.000) with six different organisational, unregulated nurse and resident outcomes: nurse assistant job satisfaction, turnover/intention to leave, effectiveness, decision making, job stress and consumer satisfaction. Qualitative analyses corroborate these findings.

There appear to be some associations between effective supervisory performance of regulated nurses with positive organisational, unregulated nursing and resident outcomes.

Nursing managers and leaders in long-term care may promote improvements in effective nurse supervision performance as a way of reducing turnover and improving resident outcomes.