Nurse-led clinical supervision role should not be eroded

Why RCN congress 2019 is debating clinical supervision of registered nurses by other professions

No one can doubt that clinical supervision is crucial to providing safe and effective care to patients.

It gives nurses opportunities to reflect on clinical practice in a secure environment. This allows them to develop professionally by sharing good practice, discussing near misses and developing strategies to address challenging situations with a trusted professional colleague.

Clinical supervision provides a nurturing environment for newly registered nurses to learn and develop. It is also a forum for established workers to take stock, and an opportunity to develop as role models and inspirational leaders.

Bassett (2015), lamenting diminished clinical supervision, argues that it is the key to high-quality care because it gives nurses a chance to share their workplace stress with colleagues and so reduce it.

A well established system