Exploring Organizational Barriers to Strengthening Clinical Supervision of Psychiatric Nursing Staff: A Longitudinal Controlled Intervention Study

Abstract

This article reports findings from a longitudinal controlled intervention study of 115 psychiatric nursing staff. The twofold objective of the study was: (a) To test whether the intervention could increase clinical supervision participation and effectiveness of existing supervision practices, and (b) To explore organizational constraints to implementation of these strengthened practices. Questionnaire responses and registration of participation in clinical supervision were registered prior and subsequent to the intervention consisting of an action learning oriented reflection on staff's existing clinical supervision practices. Major organizational changes in the intervention group during the study period obstructed the implementation of strengthened clinical supervision practices, but offered an opportunity for studying the influences of organizational constraints. The main findings were that a) diminishing experience of social support from colleagues was associated with reduced participation in clinical supervision, while b) additional quantitative demands were associated with staff reporting difficulties finding time for supervision. This probably explained a negative development in the experienced effectiveness of supervision. It is concluded that organizational support is an imperative for implementation of clinical supervision.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Henrik Gonge contributed design, data collection, analyses, and writing of the article. Niels Buus contributed design, data collection, and writing of the article. Both authors have approved the final article. The article has not been published nor submitted for publication simultaneously elsewhere.

Declaration of Interest

Declaration of Interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

FUNDING

This study was supported by a grant from the Psychiatric Research Foundation in Southern Denmark Region. The funding source provided financial support without any involvement in the outcome of the study.