How Effective is Clinical Supervision in Nursing? A Systematic Review

Background: Clinical supervision is a process of learning and professional support for nurses in developing their practice through regular discussions with experienced and knowledgeable colleagues. However, it remains challenging to ensure the effectiveness of its implementation across healthcare organizations. This review is going to answer the question: What effect does clinical supervision have on nurses' perceptions and performance? using mixed methods systematic review approach. Methods: This systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement. The related published articles were searched in the electronic databases of PubMed, Sciencedirect, Cochrane library, Wiley Online Library, and ProQuest in the time frame of 2000 to 2021. Additional studies were also added by searching the reference lists and citation tracking. Methodological quality of the included quantitative studies was appraised using the McMaster Critical Review Form for quantitative studies. The qualitative studies were also appraised using the McMaster Critical Review Form for qualitative studies (v2.0). The risk of bias was assessed independently by two authors using the Cochrane Collaboration revised tool. Data were extracted on effectiveness of clinical supervision. The studies were qualitatively analyzed through the classification of main findings, design and clinical supervision methods/models. Results: Among 1041 potentially relevant references, 237 articles were duplicates. After screening of the references by title and abstract, 793 articles removed and finally 11 studies that met the inclusion criteria were entered into the review process. The design of the articles was quasi experimental (3), RCT (1), Cross-sectional (5), and qualitative (2). All the included studies showed significant effectiveness for clinical supervision in various methods used such as one-on-one clinical supervision and group clinical supervision. Clinical supervision increased nurses' satisfaction and relief from burnout (restorative function) as well as promoting professional responsibility (normative function) and developing skills and knowledge (developmental function). Conclusion: Clinical supervision is significantly effective in nursing practice. The risk of bias in the included studies was in the “low” to “some concern” category; therefore, readers should be cautious when using the results of the current review. There is a growing need in the future for more experimental studies to be carried out, taking into account the use of more appropriate methodologies.