Understanding the Experience of Clinical Supervision in Community Child Health: A Mixed-Methods Cross Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pediatric Training
• Clinical Supervision

Background:

• Clinical supervision is crucial for Competency Based Medical Education.
• The Victorian Training Programme Community Child Health (VTPCCH) aims to provide effective pediatric training.
• Understanding trainee and supervisor perspectives is key to optimizing supervisory practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the clinical supervisory practices within the VTPCCH.
• To identify trainee and supervisor satisfaction levels with the VTPCCH.
• To pinpoint areas for improvement in clinical supervision for pediatric trainees.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed pediatric trainees and supervising consultants in the VTPCCH.
• Utilized mixed quantitative and qualitative analyses.
• Questionnaires were tailored to trainee and supervisor roles.

Main Results:

• Respondents reported high overall satisfaction with the training program and supervision quality.
• Trainees valued learning opportunities but expressed lower satisfaction with patient discussion access and supervision availability.
• Supervisors indicated lower satisfaction regarding workload monitoring and support provision; trainees reported higher burnout levels.

Conclusions:

• Learning opportunities are highly valued by trainees.
• Gaps exist in supervisor accessibility, workload management, and practice consistency.
• Recommendations are being implemented for the 2025 pediatric trainee cohort.