Effects of process-oriented group supervision as reported by nursing students : a pilot study

One method to ensure that nursing students are better prepared for their future professional role can be to offer them process-oriented group supervision. The aim of this prospective, longitudinal pilot study was to evaluate the effects of a process-oriented group supervision programme (PGSP) comprising educational, supportive and developmental areas based on reports by nursing students undergoing a 3-year nursing education. The students (N=61) evaluated their experiences of the PGSP by means of a questionnaire, which they filled in after each study year. An independent t-test was conducted to compare the educational, supportive, and developmental areas after the first (2002), second (2003) and third year (2004) as well as over the whole 3-year study period. The result showed no significant difference in scores in the educational area. However, there was a significant increase in the supportive area (p=.03) over the 3-year period, which was especially noticeable during the first year (p=.013). There was also an increase in the developmental area over the 3-year period (p=.021) as well as during the first year (p=.024). Thus, PGSP seems to develop nursing students in their professional identity and personal growth. However, as this was a pilot study, a research implication is to perform a large-scale study over a longer period of time