Clinical supervision by consultants in teaching hospitals

Abstract

Clinical supervision is a vital part of postgraduate medical education. Without it, trainees may not learn effectively from their experiences; this may lead to acceptance by registrars and junior doctors of lower standards of care. Currently, supervision is provided by consultants to registrars and junior doctors, and by registrars to junior doctors. Evidence suggests that the clinical supervision provided to postgraduate doctors is inadequate. Registrars and juniors doctors have the right to expect supervision in the workplace. Impediments to the provision of clinical supervision include competing demands of hospital service provision on trainees and supervisors, lack of clarity of job descriptions, private versus public commitments of supervisors and lack of interest. Supervisors should be trained in the process of supervision and provided with the time and resources to conduct it. Those being supervised should be provided with clear expectations of the process. We need to create and develop systems, environments and cultures that support high standards of conduct and effective clinical supervision. These systems must ensure the right to supervision, feedback, support, decent working conditions and respect for both trainees and their supervisors.

Supervision and feedback for junior medical staff in Australian emergency departments: findings from the emergency medicine capacity assessment study

“…It has been argued that clinical supervision is inadequate in Australia as it is in the United Kingdom [3], although there are little data on which to base this, certainly in the ED. The education and supervision experienced by prevocational doctors and interns in the ED has been investigated in several surveys.…”

Interns' perceptions of performance feedback

“…These recommendations are supported by existing literature. It is recognised that the bulk of clinical supervision for interns is provided by registrars . Multisource feedback is associated with performance improvement and improved self‐assessment and is incorporated into the workplace‐based assessment programme of the postgraduate curriculum in the UK .…”

Critical importance of effective supervision in postgraduate medical education

“…Hore and colleagues’ article clearly shows that the Achilles heel of supervision is the environment within Australian hospitals in which supervision is delivered. They argue for the creation of systems, environments and cultures that support high standards of conduct and effective clinical supervision 1 …”

“…In this issue of the Journal, https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2009.tb02758.x discuss clinical supervision in postgraduate medical education 1 . They identify multiple difficulties and signal the need for adequate training and supervision, and for environments that support such supervision.…”