Learning from contemporary practice: an exploration of clinical supervision in physiotherapy

Abstract

The concept of clinical supervision as a means of professional learning and support is well known within some health and social care professions, but there is a dearth of literature related to clinical supervision and physiotherapy. The aim of this article was to report the findings of an exploratory study of clinical supervision in physiotherapy. A mixed methodological approach was adopted, through the use of self‐administered questionnaires supplemented by a small number of interviews. The findings suggest that clinical supervision is not widespread and where it has been implemented it is difficult to sustain. Different structural models were adopted in different locations. The data revealed that support for continuing professional development was a highly rated purpose for clinical supervision. Respondents used supervision for different purposes at different times depending on their individual needs, suggesting that no single model is suitable for all occasions. Any model adopted must be flexible enough to suit the needs of both the individual and the organization. Proctor's identification of the normative, formative and restorative functions of clinical supervision appears to fit current aspirations and practices very well. Support and enthusiasm for clinical supervision was high. Respondents expressed a need to take time for supervision and also valued the time it gave them; but heavy workloads, busy schedules and staff shortages frequently meant that supervision was not seen as a priority.

Reflective practice and clinical supervision: an interprofessional perspective

“…The second study, which commenced in 2000, was an exploration of clinical supervision within the physiotherapy profession (Sellars 2001). Data were generated by means of questionnaires and in‐depth interviews, conducted across sites within the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom.…”

Being a Clinical Educator

“…There is a limited amount of literature derived from qualitative research and even less on the experience of being a clinical educator. Some insights into being a clinical educator have emerged from several studies from nursing (e.g., Brammer, 1996;Ferguson, 1996;Lawler, 1985;Morgan, 1991;Titchen, 2000), medicine (Kilminster and Jolly, 2000), occupational therapy (Fisher and Savin-Baden, 2002), physiotherapy (Currens and Bithell, 2000;Scully and Shepard, 1983;Sellars, 2004), and a multidisciplinary study (Edwards, 1996). These studies identified a range of experiences, including the sense of loss and Table I.…”

Facing and managing dilemmas as a clinical educator

“…Edwards, 1996;Scully & Shepard, 1983;Sellars, 2004). Edwards (1996) also included speech pathology, audiology and medical clinical educators in her study.…”

“…The many problems facing clinical or fieldwork education programs across the professions and in many countries have been widely examined in recent literature, with a call to rethink clinical education (Currens & Bithell, 2000;Fisher & Savin-Baden, 2002;Strohschein, Hagler & May, 2002). Some authors have addressed changes in the context of clinical supervision (Sellars, 2004;Spouse, 2001) but few have examined the challenges and dilemmas inherent in clinical education from the perspectives of the clinical educators themselves. Little insight has been gained from most previous (quantitative) research in clinical education into what it is like to be a clinical educator, how clinical educators conceptualise their work and interpret their roles, how *Corresponding author.…”