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Oceans apart, yet connected: Findings from a qualitative study on professional supervision in rural and remote allied health services
Author(s) -
Ducat Wendy,
Martin Priya,
Kumar Saravana,
Burge Vanessa,
Abernathy LuJuana
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
australian journal of rural health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.48
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1440-1584
pISSN - 1038-5282
DOI - 10.1111/ajr.12192
Subject(s) - nursing , enthusiasm , clinical supervision , supervisor , qualitative research , rural health , health care , medicine , qualitative property , isolation (microbiology) , rural area , professional development , health professionals , medical education , psychology , political science , sociology , social psychology , social science , pathology , machine learning , computer science , law , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Objective Improving the quality and safety of health care in A ustralia is imperative to ensure the right treatment is delivered to the right person at the right time. Achieving this requires appropriate clinical governance and support for health professionals, including professional supervision. This study investigates the usefulness and effectiveness of and barriers to supervision in rural and remote Q ueensland. Design As part of the evaluation of the Allied Health Rural and Remote Training and Support program, a qualitative descriptive study was conducted involving semi‐structured interviews with 42 rural or remote allied health professionals, nine operational managers and four supervisors. The interviews explored perspectives on their supervision arrangements, including the perceived usefulness, effect on practice and barriers. Results Themes of reduced isolation; enhanced professional enthusiasm, growth and commitment to the organisation; enhanced clinical skills, knowledge and confidence; and enhanced patient safety were identified as perceived outcomes of professional supervision. Time, technology and organisational factors were identified as potential facilitators as well as potential barriers to effective supervision. Conclusions This research provides current evidence on the impact of professional supervision in rural and remote Q ueensland. A multidimensional model of organisational factors associated with effective supervision in rural and remote settings is proposed identifying positive supervision culture and a good supervisor–supervisee fit as key factors associated with effective arrangements.