Supervision

Outlines:
Introduction
Definitions of supervision
Objectives of supervision
Purpose of supervision
Principles of supervision
How to become a good supervision
Characteristics of supervision
Function of supervision
Types of supervision
Supervision process
Methods of supervision
Supervisor's responsibilities
Measures for the supervisor to develop effective human relations
References

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 Supervision
Introduction
Supervision is “a social influence process that occurs over time, in
which the supervisor participates with supervisees to ensure quality of
clinical care. Effective supervisors observe, mentor, coach, evaluate,
inspire, and create an atmosphere that promotes self-motivation, learning,
and professional development. They build teams, create cohesion, resolve
conflict, and shape agency culture, while attending to ethical and diversity
issues in all aspects of the process. Such supervision is key to both quality
improvement and the successful implementation of consensus- and
evidence-based practices”.

Definitions of supervision
Supervision: Is defined as a cooperative relationship between a
leader and one or more persons to accomplish a particular purpose.

Supervision: It is defined as the authoritative direction of the work

of one’s subordinates. It is based on their hierarchical organization in which
each level of subordinate to the one immediately above it and subject to its
orders

Supervision: Is a kind of teaching, which involves, advising, helping,

inspiring leading and liberating.

Objectives of supervision:
1. To persist in the delivery of high quality of health care services.
2. To assist and to help in the development of staff to their highest
potential.
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 3. To interpret the policies, objective, needs etc.
4. To plan services cooperatively and to develop coordination to avoid
overlapping
5. To develop standards of service and method of evaluation of personnel
and services
6. To assist in problem solving of the matters concerning personnel,
administrative and operation of services.
7. To evaluate the services given.

Purpose of supervision:
1. To provide suitable working conditions.
2. To cultivates a spirit of cooperation between employees. (As
evidenced by the emphasis on “we” rather than “I”).
3. To maintain maximum standard and ensure optimum professional
efficiency in relation to achievement of the organizational goals.
4. Is orientation, training and guidance the individuals based upon their
needs and development of new skills.
5. Is concerned with the planning, execution and evaluation of the work
to be done

Principles of good supervision:

1. Good supervision strives to make the ward a good learning situation.
2. Good supervision gives autonomy to workers depending on their
competency, personality and commitment
3. Good supervision creates an atmosphere of cordiality and trust.
4. Good supervision is well planned, objectives, methods of supervision
and criteria for judging.
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 5. Good supervision helps the individual nurse set up objectives.
6. Good supervision helps the nurse to make a pattern for analysis and to
analyze continuously her success in reaching her objectives.
7. Good supervision considers the strengths and weaknesses of
employees.

8. Good supervision respects the individuality of the staff members.

How to become a good supervision (supervisor):

 First: Treat others as you wish to be treated (or as you wish your
loved ones to be treated) – namely with respect
 Second: Remember that staffs are multi-faceted human beings, with
needs, interests and lives that are important to them.
 Third: Be honest and ethical.
 Fourth: Recognize that problems are a normal part of life and
approach them in an effort to find solutions rather than place blame.
 Fifth: Give praise and recognition when it is due.

Characteristics of supervision (supervisor):

1. Is a good communicator and listener
2. Has the ability to attract, select, and retain a diverse staff
3. Is available and approachable
4. Has the ability to empower their employees and delegate authority
5. Encourages and supports the personal and professional development of
their employees
6. Has high ethical standards and integrity
7. Is fair and honest

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 8. Is an empathetic listener and has compassion for others
9. Has a sense of humor
10. Can act as a mentor and coach
11. Is a successful problem solver who is able to balance his/her own
needs, the needs of employees, and the needs of the organization
12. Motivates others to pull together to meet goals and objectives
13. a role model
14. Provides feedback to individuals in timely, meaningful manner
15. Engender positive, mature relationships with their staff members,
characterized primarily by mutual trust, respect, and the recognition
that each individual is unique
16. Uses good analytical and problem-solving skills together with their
“emotional intelligence” (maturity).
17. Promotes team efforts and team recognition
18. Is innovative
19. Provides a safe work environment.

Function of supervision:
1. Orientation of newly posted staff
2. Assessment of the workload of individuals and groups
3. Arranging for the flow of materials
4. Coordination of efforts
5. Promotion of effectiveness of workers and social contact.
6. Helping the individuals to cope
7. Facilitating the flow of communication.
8. Raising the level of motivation, establishment of control
9. Development of confidence

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 10. Emphasis on achievement
11. Record keeping.

Types of supervision:
 Critical friendship: The supervisor acts as a friend and guides the
supervisee.
 Mentoring: The supervisor acts as a role model for the supervisee.
 Monitoring: The supervisor checks on progress and any problems as
well as advising on solutions.
 Advisory: The supervisor assumes a relatively superior position in
terms of knowledge and skills.
 Clinical supervision: In this situation, the supervisor and
supervisee engage in face-to-face interaction that is primarily based on
the observation of performance and an emphasis on collegiality.
 Hard accountability: In this case, the supervisor performs the
traditional inspector's role, demanding strict accountability from the
supervisee.

The supervision process involves:

1- Assessment of patient's needs for improvement in the quality of care
given.

2- Assessment of needs of individual staff members for improvement in

the light of the objectives of patient care.

3- Establish objectives for the desired quality of care and individual staff
members' objective.

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 4- Planning methods for meeting objectives and achieving personal
improvement.

5- Carrying out the plan through direction, guidance, teaching, etc…

6- Evaluation of results and making new plans.

7- Continuous evaluation of the effects of staff effort on the quality of care

given.

Methods of supervision:
The nurse supervisor can use one or more from the following
methods to supervise her subordinates:

1. Cooperative determination of staff member's needs:

The nurse manager must be aware of needs of nurses and given them
opportunity to discuss their shortcomings and request assistance, without
fear or embarrassment or criticism, to say they need help. Each nurse should
be helped from her nurse in planning ways to improve her ability in
providing patient care.

2. Cooperative planning for supervision:

The amount and type of assistance required depends on the ability

and experience of the staff member.

o If the nurse has an understanding of scientific principles, is skilled in the

use of her hands, and in organization of assignment; there should be a
conference with the head nurse, before the starts to care for the patient.
They discuss the patients' nursing needs, the objectives of his care,
important observations to make and record.

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o When the nurse is new or young in experience, the head nurse might plan
to have a competent nurse with the inexperienced nurse to care for a
patient with difficult problems. A plan of action is made, the new nurse
indicating the part she would like to play.
o A follow up conference answers any staff nurse's questions, the amount
and type of help she needs the next day, is determined.

o During the days that follow, when the staff member is working more
independently, the head nurse needs to be available for help. The new
inexperienced nurse should be given opportunity to evaluate the care
given, her own learning and the supervision she received.

3.Observation:
Is an important and essential method of supervision, it is carried out
continuously while the nurse is performing her work; while care is provided
to patient, during patient round, during giving and receiving report and after
all the care has been given.

Observation technique:
The observation can be conducted through:
I. Learn to see what you look at. Thus, you have to:

o Have some ideas about what to look for before you begin your
observation.
o Consider each person as an individual.
o Try to be objective about what you see.
o Look for relationships between what you see and what the overall
situation appears to be.

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 o Be objective and interested in what you seeing.

II. Learn to listen what others are saying:

This includes listening for what is not said. People tend to omit those
ideas, which make them uncomfortable, or about which they think they will
be criticized. Group feeling is stimulated when each member feels to offer
suggestions, knowledge that you will give them thoughtful consideration.

III .observe continuously:

oAs you care for your patients.

oAs you work with your staff.

oDuring your round to visit patients.

oAs you do your work.

oDuring the reports.

oAfter all care has been given.

4. Supervision at bedside:

The head nurse must assist members at the bedside for the safety and
welfare of the patient or for the learning of the individual. It is usually
advisable to follow up supervision with an informal conference to pinpoint
the problem; this will help to strengthen learning.

The supervisor's responsibilities:

There are three primary groups to which supervisors have
responsibilities: the subordinates, the peers and the superiors. They must
work in harmony with all these groups if they are to be effective supervisors.

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1)Responsibilities towards subordinates:
The supervisor must get to know the subordinates as individual human
beings, through using the person's name, a respectful tone of voice,
personalized greeting and asking about their subordinate's health and well-
being.

The additional responsibilities of the supervisors concerning

their subordinates include:
1. Finds workers who are well equipped to handle their duties.

2. Supports them when they act under given orders or with permission.

3. Providing them with constructive criticism and adequate instructions,

training and evaluation.

4. Safeguarding their health and welfare while they are on the job.

5. Providing an example of what good behavior is on the job.

6. Handling their complaints and problems in a fair way.

7. Praising them for work well done.

2) Responsibilities towards peers:

Supervisors' responsibilities to their peers include:

1. Know and understand each of them as individuals.

2. Approach and cooperate with each of them as individuals.

3. Provides needed help to enable peers achieve the satisfaction they desire
from their job.

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 4. Foster a spirit of cooperation and teamwork.

3) Responsibilities towards superiors:

The supervisor's responsibilities to the superiors, both line and staff
can be includes:

1. Promote the organizational goals

2. Operate within the budget and respecting organization's policy.

3. Transmit information about problems along with recommendations for

solving them.

4. Strive for efficiency whenever and wherever possible.

5. Prepare records and reports on time and in the proper form.

6. Uses the organization's resources effectively.

7. Shows respect and cooperation.

Measures for the supervisor to develop effective human

relations:
1. Communicates with others so they communicate with you.

2. Be cooperative in order to get cooperation.

3. Gives respect in order to get respect

4. Sets an example of good human relations.

5. Be fair with all workers.

6. Keeps an open mind; tries to understand the other person's point of

view.

7. Recognizes each individual as a person not as a worker.

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 8. Tries to meet the personal needs of each worker.

References
 Thora krou & Ellen Durbin (1981), The Management of patient cares
putting leadership skills to work p 82 -90.
 Ed, Jenny, & Joey Guido (2006), Legal and Ethical Issues in nursing,
fourth edition p 224-225.
 The American Journal of Nursing (http://www.jstor.org/stable).
 The Association for Counselor Education and supervision
 (http://www.counseling.org).
 www.tidal-model.com/clinical_supervision.htm.
 http://image.slidesharecdn.com/4supevision.

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