Interprofessional supervision: strengthening clinical supervision by utilising commonalities across professions: Interprofessional supervision

Priya Martin; Saravana Kumar; Wendy Ducat; David Snowdon

doi:10.1921/jpts.v20i3.2152

Authors

Priya Martin The University of Queensland, Senior Research Fellow https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2092-6551
Saravana Kumar Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4003-4411
Wendy Ducat Program Manager - Queensland Centre for Mental Health Learning, Mental Health and Specialised Services West Moreton Health https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9150-6132
David Snowdon Research Fellow Peninsula Clinical School, Central Clinical School Monash University https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2041-3120

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1921/jpts.v20i3.2152

Keywords:

clinical supervision, interprofessional supervision

Abstract

All health professions are unified by having the client at their core. Clinical supervision provides healthcare workers with opportunities to work across professional boundaries. Interprofessional supervision occurs when the supervisee and supervisor have different professional backgrounds. Unpacking this concept is likely to enhance healthcare workers’ understanding, and therefore its use. In this paper, the authors use the well-recognised Proctor’s model of clinical supervision, to reflect on the tendencies of different professions to embrace different aspects of clinical supervision (e.g., direct and reflective aspects), and recommend strategies for healthcare workers from different professions to collaborate more in the supervision context.

Author Biographies

Priya Martin, The University of Queensland, Senior Research Fellow

Dr Priya Martin is an occupational therapist and an internationally recognised expert in clinical supervision training, practice, and research. She completed a multi-award-winning PhD that investigated the factors that influence high quality clinical supervision across several health professions. Subsequently, she undertook a funded post-doctoral Advance Queensland Industry Fellowship that investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical supervision of staff and students in health settings. Priya continues to be invited to speak at conferences and forums on evidence-informed clinical supervision practices. She also continues to undertake and publish clinical supervision research in collaboration with colleagues from other professions and countries. ORCID 0000-0002-2092-6551

Saravana Kumar, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia

Professor Saravana Kumar is a physiotherapist with more than two decades of clinical, teaching and research experience. He specialises in allied health and health services research, which tackle challenges confronting healthcare by generating contemporary evidence, bringing together collaborative multidisciplinary teams, and implementing innovative and evidence-informed solutions. As part of this work, he champions investment in, and research about, clinical supervision as a critical tool in supporting and promoting the health workforce. ORCID 0000-0002-4003-4411

Wendy Ducat, Program Manager - Queensland Centre for Mental Health Learning, Mental Health and Specialised Services West Moreton Health

Dr Wendy Ducat is a clinical psychologist and Program Manager at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Learning, West Moreton Hospital and Health Service. Wendy manages the clinical supervision portfolio at the Learning Centre, involving a team of occupational therapy, nursing, psychology, and social work educators who provide education to the mental health workforce in Queensland. Wendy is passionate about effective education and supervision, particularly for the rural and remote workforce and across several health disciplines. ORCID 0000-0002-9150-6132

David Snowdon, Research Fellow Peninsula Clinical School, Central Clinical School Monash University

Dr David Snowdon is a physiotherapist with expertise in clinical supervision of healthcare workers. He was awarded the Nancy Millis Medal for Outstanding Thesis for his PhD investigating clinical supervision of allied healthcare workers and its impact on patient care. His research has identified the aspects of clinical supervision that can facilitate high quality patient care. Since 2015 he has published 12 peer reviewed publications on the topic of clinical. ORCID 0000-0003-2041-3120

References

Bambling M, King R, Raue P, Schweitzer R, Lambert W. (2006) Clinical supervision: Its influence on client-rated working alliance and client symptom reduction in the brief treatment of major depression. Psychotherapy Research., 6, 3, 317–331. doi:10.1080/10503300500268524

Caty, M. È., Kinsella, E. A. and Doyle, P. C. (2015) Reflective practice in speech-language pathology: A scoping review. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 17, 4, 411-420. https://doi.org/10.3109/17549507.2014.979870

Cottrell, D., Kilminster, S., Jolly, B. and Grant, J. (2002) What is effective supervision and how does it happen? A critical incident study. Medical Education, 36, 11, 1042-1049. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2923.2002.01327.x

Davys, A. and Beddoe, L. (2015) Interprofessional supervision: Opportunities and challenges. in L. Bostock (Ed.) Interprofessional Staff Supervision in Adult Health and Social Care Services.Brighton: Pavilion Publishing (Vol. 1, pp.37-41)

Ducat, W. H., Burge, V. and Kumar, S. (2014) Barriers to, and enablers of, participation in the Allied Health Rural and Remote Training and Support (AHRRTS) program for rural and remote allied health workers: a qualitative descriptive study. BMC Medical Education, 14, 1, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-14-194

Ferguson, H. (2018) How social workers reflect in action and when and why they don’t: The possibilities and limits to reflective practice in social work. Social Work Education, 37, 4, 415-427. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2017.1413083

Ford, M., Martin, P. and Sy, M. (2022) Twelve tips to support ehlathcare teams to incorporate interprofessional education and collaborative practice into day-to-day workplace practices. Journal of Practice Teaching and Learning.

Frenk, J., Chen, L., Bhutta, Z. A., Cohen, J., Crisp, N., Evans, T., ... and Zurayk, H. (2010) Health professionals for a new century: transforming education to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world. The Lancet, 376, 9756, 1923-1958. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61854-5

Gardner, M., McKinstry, C. and Perrin, B. (2021) Group clinical supervision for allied health professionals. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 29, 4, 538-548. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.12775

Goliroshan, S., Nobahar, M., Raeisdana, N., Ebadinejad, Z. and Aziznejadroshan, P. (2021) The protective role of professional self-concept and job embeddedness on nurses’ burnout: Structural equation modeling. BMC Nursing, 20, 1, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00727-8

Gonsalvez, C. J., Oades, L. G. and Freestone, J. (2002) The objectives approach to clinical supervision: Towards integration and empirical evaluation. Australian Psychologist, 37, 1, 68-77. https://doi.org/10.1080/00050060210001706706

Guy, L., Cranwell, K., Hitch, D. and McKinstry, C. (2020) Reflective practice facilitation within occupational therapy supervision processes: A mixed method study. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 67, 4, 320-329. https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1630.12660

Joosten-Hagye D. and Khalili H. (2022). Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice: International approaches at micro, meso and macro levels. San Diego, CA: Cognella Publishing.

Katz, N. and Heimann, N. (1991) Learning style of students and practitioners in five health professions. The Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 11, 4, 238-244. https://doi.org/10.1177/153944929101100404

Knightbridge, L. (2019) Reflection‐in‐practice: A survey of Australian occupational therapists. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 66, 3, 337-346. https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1630.12559

Lilienfeld, S. O. and Basterfield, C. (2020) Reflective practice in clinical psychology: Reflections from basic psychological science. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 27, 4, e12352. https://doi.org/10.1111/cpsp.12352

Lindblad, T. L. (2021) Ethical considerations in clinical supervision: Components of effective clinical supervision across an interprofessional team. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 14, 2, 478-490. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00514-y

Mann, K., Gordon, J. and MacLeod, A. (2009) Reflection and reflective practice in health professions education: A systematic review. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 14, 4, 595-621. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-007-9090-2

Maringer, T. and Jensen, J. (2014) Preceptors’ views of preceptorship: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77, 8, 422-428. https://doi.org/10.4276/030802214X14071472109914

Martin, P. (2022) Facilitating interprofessional education and collaborative practice at the education and health system interface. in D. Joosten-Hagye and H. Khalili (Eds.) Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice - International approaches at micro, meso and macro levels. Cognella Publishing.

Martin, P. and Sy, M. (2021) Twelve tips to facilitate interprofessional education and collaborative practice with students on placements in healthcare settings. The Journal of Practice Teaching and Learning, 18, 3. https://doi.org/10.1921/jpts.v18i3.1740

Martin, P., Copley, J. and Tyack, Z. (2014) Twelve tips for effective clinical supervision based on a narrative literature review and expert opinion. Medical Teacher, 36, 3, 201-207. https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2013.852166

Martin, P., Kumar, S. and Abernathy, L. (2017) Bridging the training-practice gap in interprofessional student supervision. Perspectives on Medical Education, 6, 2, 133-137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-017-0330-8

Martin, P., Kumar, S., Abernathy, L. and Browne, M. (2018) Good, bad or indifferent: A longitudinal multi-methods study comparing four modes of training for healthcare professionals in one Australian state. BMJ Open, 8, 8, e021264. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-021264

Martin, P., Lizarondo, L., Kumar, S. and Snowdon, D. (2021) Impact of clinical supervision on healthcare organisational outcomes: A mixed methods systematic review. PloS One, 16, 11, e0260156. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260156

Martin, P., Kumar, S., Tian, E., Argus, G., Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, S., Lizarondo, L., ... and Snowdon, D. (2022) Rebooting effective clinical supervision practices to support healthcare workers through and following the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 34, 2, mzac030. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzac030

Massey, M. G., Kim, S. H. and Mitchell, C. (2011) A study of the learning styles of undergraduate social work students. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 8, 3, 294-303. https://doi.org/10.1080/15433714.2011.557977

Milne, D. and Reiser, R. P. (2020) Supportive Clinical Supervision: Enhancing well-being and reducing burnout through restorative leadership. Brighton: Pavilion.

Morelen, D., Najm, J., Wolff, M. and Daniel, K. (2022) Taking care of the caregivers: The moderating role of reflective supervision in the relationship between COVID‐19 stress and the mental and professional well‐being of the IECMH workforce. Infant Mental Health Journal, 43, 1, 55-68. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.21956

Nancarrow, S. A., Wade, R., Moran, A., Coyle, J., Young, J. and Boxall, D. (2014) Connecting practice: A practitioner centred model of supervision. Clinical Governance, 19, 3, 235-252 . https://doi.org/10.1108/CGIJ-03-2014-0010

O’Donovan, A., Halford, W. K. and Walters, B. (2011) Towards best practice supervision of clinical psychology trainees. Australian Psychologist, 46, 2, 101-112. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-9544.2011.00033.x

Paunonen, M. (1991) Promoting nursing quality through supervision. Journal of Nursing Staff Development: JNSD, 7, 5, 229-233. https://europepmc.org/article/med/1919756

Pearce, P., Phillips, B., Dawson, M. and Leggat, S. G. (2013) Content of clinical supervision sessions for nurses and allied health professionals: A systematic review. Clinical Governance: An International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777271311317927

Proctor, B. (2010) Training for the supervision alliance. in J. R. Cutcliffe, K. Hyrkäs and J. Fowler (Eds.) Routledge Handbook of Clinical Supervision: Fundamental international themes. Abingdon: Routledge (pp. 23-34)

Psychology Board of Australia. Guidelines for supervisors. (2018) https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/Standards-and-Guidelines/Codes-Guidelines-Policies.aspx [Accessed 21st April 2023)

Redpath, A. A., Gill, S. D., Finlay, N., Brennan, F. and Hakkennes, S. (2015) Public sector physiotherapists believe that staff supervision should be broad ranging, individualised, structured, and based on needs and goals: a qualitative study. Journal of Physiotherapy, 61, 4, 210-216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphys.2015.08.002

Reeves, S., Goldman, J., Burton, A. and Sawatzky-Girling, B. (2010) Synthesis of systematic review evidence of interprofessional education. Journal of Allied Health, 39, 3, 198-203. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/synthesis-systematic-review-evidence/docview/874211222/se-2?accountid=14205

Snowdon, D. A., Hau, R., Leggat, S. G. and Taylor, N. F. (2016) Does clinical supervision of health professionals improve patient safety? A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 28, 4, 447-455. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzw059

Snowdon, D. A., Leggat, S. G. and Taylor, N. F. (2017) Does clinical supervision of healthcare professionals improve effectiveness of care and patient experience? A systematic review. BMC Health Services Research, 17, 1, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-017-2739-5

Snowdon DA, Leggat SG, Harding KE, Scroggie G, Hau R, Darzins P, Taylor NF. (2020) Direct supervision of physiotherapists improves compliance with clinical practice guidelines for patients with hip fracture: a controlled before-and-after study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 42, 26, a3825–3832. doi:10.1080/09638288.2019.1610805

Snowdon, D. A., Cooke, S., Lawler, K., Scroggie, G., Williams, K. and Taylor, N. F. (2020a) Physiotherapists prefer clinical supervision to focus on professional skill development: A qualitative study. Physiotherapy Canada, 72, 3, 249-257. https://doi.org/10.3138/ptc-2019-0004

Snowdon, D. A., Leggat, S. G., Harding, K. E., Scroggie, G., Hau, R., Darzins, P. and Taylor, N. F. (2020) Direct supervision of physiotherapists improves compliance with clinical practice guidelines for patients with hip fracture: A controlled before-and-after study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 42, 26, 3825-3832. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2019.1610805

Snowdon, D. A., Sargent, M., Williams, C. M., Maloney, S., Caspers, K. and Taylor, N. F. (2020c) Effective clinical supervision of allied health professionals: A mixed methods study. BMC Health Services Research, 20, 1, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4873-8

Stander, J., Grimmer, K. and Brink, Y. (2019) Learning styles of physiotherapists: A systematic scoping review. BMC Medical Education, 19, 1, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-018-1434-5

Titiloye, V. M. and Scott, A. H. (2002) Occupational therapy students’ learning styles and application to professional academic training. Occupational Therapy in Health Care, 15, 1-2, 145-155. https://doi.org/10.1080/J003v15n01_14

Todd, G. and Freshwater, D. (1999) Reflective practice and guided discovery: Clinical supervision. British Journal of Nursing, 8, 20, 1383-1389. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.1999.8.20.1383

Townend, M. (2005) Interprofessional supervision from the perspectives of both mental health nurses and other professionals in the field of cognitive behavioural psychotherapy. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 12, 5, 582-588. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2850.2005.00878.x

Winstanley, J. and White, E. (2003) Clinical supervision: models, measures and best practice. Nurse Researcher (Through 2013), 10, 4, 7. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/clinical-supervision-models-measures-best/docview/200775851/se-2?accountid=14205

World Health Organization. (2010) Framework for action on interprofessional education and collaborative practice (No. WHO/HRH/HPN/10.3). World Health Organization. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/70185/WHO_HRH_HPN_10.3_eng.pdf;jsessionid=674A98A59264C540A171530BDCE58488?sequence=1.

Ziebart, C. and MacDermid, J. C. (2019) Reflective practice in physical therapy: A scoping review. Physical Therapy, 99, 8, 1056-1068. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzz049