"Clinical Supervision is an interactive process between the providers of healthcare, which enables the development of professional knowledge and skills.".
(Butterworth and Faugier 1993).
Clinical Supervision.
Clinical supervision has been widely used within counselling, psychotherapy and social work for many years and recently there has been a growing interest in the use of clinical supervision in the health care professions generally and more specifically in nursing. "Its value as a means not only of developing clinical competence and thus ensuring standards of care for patients but in also supporting staff who often work in difficult and demanding situations has been recognised and there is enthusiasm for both the process and its outcomes." (Kohner 1994).
The development of clinical supervision has been influenced by a number of factors. The Clothier report (1994) following the Beverly Allitt Inquiry, highlighted the importance of supervision and reinforced the views expressed in the Health Service Commissioner's Report (1992). The rapidly changing health service, with the flattening of hierarchies, has removed traditional professional support systems and, together with the drive for the development of innovative practices to meet the expectations for quality and cost effectiveness have had a major effect on health care workers. This was highlighted in the Delphi study, which found that more than 2000 nurses valued the importance of clinical supervision (Butterworth 1992).
The UKCC Code of Conduct (UKCC 1992) and The Scope of Professional Practice (UKCC 1993) state that individual practitioners should be accountable for their own practice, develop their skills in response to the needs of patients and to provide the highest possible standard of care for their patients. These documents have all contributed towards the development of clinical supervision to help practitioners fulfill professional obligations.