Key Points from W&S Chapter 72 - Supervision

supervision provide

direction, feedback, guidance, support

supervision

ongoing process of overseeing another person’s work to ensure it meets organizational goals and expectatons

supervisions helps supervisees

• develop skills

• solve work-related problems

• improve clinical reasoning

• gain new competencies

formal supervision

• involves an assigned supervisor with formal authority and responsibility

• may include evaluating performance, providing feedback, monitoring work

• has an established supervisory relationship

informal supervision

• occurs through everyday interactions with colleagues and other experienced practitioners

• may include sharing advice, discussiong cases and asking questions

• can occur naturally within a collaborative work environment

informal/formal supervision example

OT may formally supervise an OTA while also receiving informal guidance from a more experienced OT colleague

types of supervision

• administrative supervision

• clinical or professional practice supervision

• functional supervision

administrative supervision

focuses on organizational policies, procedures, job responsibilites, productivity, meeting workplace expectations

clinical/professional practice supervision

focuses on clinical skills, professional growth, service quality, clinical decision-making

functional supervision

focuses on overseeing specific work functions or tasks, which may differ from a person’s formal supervisory relationship

successful supervisory relationship

• supervisor’s role: provide direction, support, feedback, guidance, appropriate oversight

• supervisee’s role: ask questions, accept feedback, communicate concerns, take responsbility for learning and improving performance

• both: communicate expectations and work collaboratively to address challenges

performance evaluation

helps determine whether a supervisee is meeting job expectations and identified areas for improvements

direct supervision

physically present or directly observes the work being performed

indirect supervision

supervisor oversees work without continuously observing the supervisee, such as through documentation review, meetings, follow up

frequnecy and type of supervision depend on

• supervisee’s experience and demonstrated competence

• complexity and risk of assigned tasks

• supervisee’s need for feedback and support

• organization’s policies and applicable professional requirements

AOTA guidelines for appropriate supervision of OT personnel

• supervision is connected to professional accountability

• OT practitioners must understand their responsibilities when supervising others

• ensure supervision provided is appropriate to the work being performed