Clinical supervision is a relatively new concept within nursing in New Zealand and there has been little research on the topic to date. However, Scandinavian countries and the United Kingdom have led the way by providing research showing the benefits clinical supervision can have for both nurses and the patients for whom they care for.

Over a period of time conversations with medical and surgical nursing colleagues revealed diverse and concerning views, attitudes and knowledge regarding clinical supervision. These encounters, attitudes and perceptions provided the impetus for this research. Initially the review will focus on two broad themes: firstly research that examines perceptions and attitudes of general nurses in all in-patient hospital settings towards clinical supervision and how they have found such support to be of benefit to themselves or their practice. Secondly it will focus on organisational documentation policies and procedures available to nurses in order to understand their contribution to nurses’ understanding and valuing of clinical supervision.

The key questions this modified systematic literature review aims to answer is: what can research reveal about medical and surgical nurses’ knowledge and attitudes towards clinical supervision? To what degree might nursing organisational and in-service education literature contribute to such perceptions, attitudes and knowledge? Is there evidence that indicates medical and surgical nurses who have received or learnt about clinical supervision develop particular perceptions of clinical supervision? And, is there literature evidence that suggests other factors influence the provision of, or access to, clinical supervision by general nurses that in turn influences attitudes and perceptions?