Collaborative supervision and professional development in Nursing

Abstract

Background: Collaborative supervision explains the permanent transformation of professional practices from a coformative and developmental perspective. Objective: This study aims to identify the nurses’ conceptions of collaborative supervision and professional development in nursing care practice. Methodology: A qualitative empirical case study, including the Nursing team of an Internal Medicine unit of a Hospital Centre in Northern Portugal (N = 29). Data were obtained through document analysis, non-participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Results: Participants consider that collaborating means sharing, working in a team and helping the other, and that there are privileged collaborative moments in nursing care practice. Supervision emerges as a reality still apart from practice, and nurses tend to consider the supervisory process from a vertical perspective. As contributions to their professional development, nurses emphasise lifelong training, collaboration and the relationship between the person, the environment and the others. Conclusion: Despite the spontaneity and informality of both supervision and collaboration, these practices are closely related to the continuing professional development in Nursing.