Ms Roslyn Kirk1
1Capital Health Network – ACT PHN, Deakin, Australia
Biography:
Ros is a registered nurse with over 20 years of experience working in specialist palliative care and is currently the Palliative Planning Manager for ACT's local PHN, Capital Health Network.
Ros began training as a Clinical Supervisor in 2020 and was member of the ACT Health Clinical Supervision Strategic Planning & Implementation Committee. She works at Clare Holland House once a fortnight providing the opportunity for all staff to engage in clinical supervision. Ros has now provided over 100 individual or group clinical supervision sessions with over 200 participants at Clare Holland House and other clinical services across the ACT.
Abstract:
Background: In 2019 the Australian Colleges of Nursing, Midwives and Mental Health Nurses launched a joint Clinical Supervision (CS) Position Statement highlighting the importance of CS as a core component of professional practice for nurses and midwives.
Palliative care nurses experience stress, burnout, and a range of ethical dilemmas in the provision of quality care. Regular reflective CS supports well-being and professional development, with potential benefits to patient care, teamwork, and work-place culture.
Aim: To share my journey of introducing reflective CS to CHH, a specialist palliative care service in ACT and how this contributed positively to staff feeling supported in a safe space increasing confidence and reflective skills in the palliative care setting.
Methods: In 2020 I commenced training as a Clinical Supervisor and began offering CS to nurses at CHH.
In collaboration with the Unit Manager, we identified ‘emerging Level 2’ nurses as a target group and promoted CS. As CS grew, I was approached by other teams and disciplines. I also participated in a regular CS community of practice meetings and received CS. In September 2023, feedback about CS was provided by six staff and a poster was created to promote CHH CS activity and encourage further engagement.
Results: From October 2020 to December 2023, 104 sessions were completed (group or individuals) with 219 supervisees (participants). Participants reported CS had improved their well-being and facilitated professional development through reflection and developing confidence and skills in challenging situations. Participants felt supported, nurtured, and safe.
Conclusions: The introduction of reflective CS at CHH is core to ensuring a safe and sustainable workforce. It has organisational support and fits into the recently launched ACT CS Supervision Framework for Nurses and Midwives. Improving access to CS is of high relevance to all palliative care nurses in the ACT and nationally.