Enhancing the quality of allied health clinical supervision in a regional setting: An action research study

Abstract

Objective: To explore and describe strategies to enhance the implementation of an organisational clinical supervision framework and subsequently inform the development of a model of implementation of clinical supervision for allied health professionals in a regional health care setting.

Setting: A large regional health service in Victoria, providing hospital, rehabilitation, community, mental health and aged care services.

Participants: Allied health managers employed at the health service were members of an action research group.

Design: This longitudinal study used an action research approach. The action research group informed the repeated cycles of planning, action and reflection. Data from recorded action research meetings were analysed using content analysis.

Results: The action research group met 11 times over a 5-year period informing four action research cycles. Six main themes relating to factors that enhanced the quality of clinical supervision emerged from the analysis of the action research group data: purpose and value of clinical supervision; clinical supervision characteristics; differences between disciplines; framework development; training and support and implementation of clinical supervision.

Conclusion: The findings from this comprehensive longitudinal study provide evidence-based approaches to the implementation of allied health clinical supervision. The action research approach used ensures that the strategies described are realistic and sustainable. A model has been developed to inform the implementation of clinical supervision for allied health.

Keywords: allied health; health policy; rural allied health and nursing professional development; teaching and learning; workforce.