The Trainee Requiring Extra Support: What Is the New Consultant Supervisor's Experience?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Doctoral Training
• Supervisory Practice

Background:

• Supervising doctors requiring extra support (TRES) presents unique challenges, especially for newly qualified consultants.
• Existing literature lacks depth and applicability to the UK hospital context.
• New consultants face significant hurdles transitioning into their roles while supervising TRES.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of new consultants supervising a TRES in a UK hospital setting.
• To understand the challenges and support needs of supervisors managing TRES.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study involving nine new consultants (within 5 years of completing training).
• Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted at a district general hospital.
• Thematic analysis was employed to analyze interview data.

Main Results:

• Supervisors felt unprepared for the role, highlighting a need for better support networks.
• Inconsistent support structures significantly impacted the supervisory experience.
• Supervision of TRES imposed considerable time and emotional burdens on new consultants.

Conclusions:

• Supervising TRES is complex for new consultants due to interconnected factors.
• Developing robust supervisor support networks and improving trainee information handover are crucial.
• Further research is needed on supervision pedagogy and effective preparation/support strategies for new consultants supervising TRES.