Essential Elements of Clinical Supervision

1. Introduction to Organizational/Operational Management

This chapter addresses supervisory, organizational and management skills and the experience needed for success. Whether contacting a physician about a patient change in condition as reported by an aide and assessed by the supervisor or counseling an aide about documentation, the supervisor’s days are variable based on patient and organizational need. This chapter provides information about management, the organizational chart and “where” the clinical supervisor fits in. Communications with leaders/management and with peer team members, aides and agency support staff are also discussed. Clinical supervisors and managers have a role in customer service and the patient family/experience, but all clinical team members represents the face of the organization with every visit when assessing the plan of care. This chapter provides an example of a home visit with practical follow-up for areas identified needing improvement.

2. Pulling it all Together: Excellence in Action

The first three chapters laid the foundation for success in the clinical supervisor role. This chapter highlights a sample day in the life of a clinical supervisor. This “day in the life” includes meeting consideration, processing workflow, daily oversight, sample organization metrics, follow-up e.g. on call, changes in condition, employee call offs, case-conferencing, and more! In addition, an interactive vignette of a clinical supervisor’s daily routine is presented and reviewed. A second vignette presents a joint visit with lessons learned. This chapter provides a roadmap to help organizations apply information presented to support and standardize their performance improvement initiatives related to the important role of the clinical supervisor.