Supervision and Integration of Nurses in Professional Practice

Abstract

Introduction: The integration of nurses into professional life requires scientific and technical learning, where competence is sublimated by knowledge acquired and developed in practice, through experimentation and the sharing of knowledge. This period constitutes a crucial phase in adapting the new nurse to the work context and developing a healthy relationship with the professional team. Clinical supervision provides professional guidance and support, facilitating the transition process for the integrating nurse and optimizing the development of their competencies, with the aim of fostering efficiency and quality in their professional practice. Thus, the clinical supervisor plays a fundamental role throughout this process. Objectives: Analyse nurses’ perception of their integration process; analyse nurses' perceptions of the supervision provided during the integration process; identify the factors that facilitate and hinder the integration process. Material and Methods: Exploratory, descriptive qualitative study, using the focus group technique. Data collection through a semi-structured interview, content analysis according to Bardin. Results: Different subcategories and categories emerged from the study, which are at the origin of the following domains: Experience of the integration process; Integration process in use; Supervising Nurse. Conclusions: The study shows that the integration experiences of nurses influenced their development. The role of clinical supervision throughout the process was highlighted as being extremely important, with the clinical supervisor considered an elemental key for the success of the supervising process, therefore, for the integration of nurses.