Trauma-Informed Clinical Supervision for Nurses and Midwives: An Integrative Review of the Literature.

Abstract

Nurses and midwives deliver 24/7 care for complex biopsychosocial needs across the lifespan. The global shortage of nurses and midwives is a challenge for healthcare organisations, placing additional stress and symptoms of trauma on those who remain. Trauma-informed care is an organisational framework that embeds trauma awareness into healthcare policies and practices to prevent re-traumatisation and promote the well-being of patients and providers. Grounded in six core principles, it addresses the multifaceted effects of trauma in healthcare. Clinical supervision supports practitioner development and wellbeing and may benefit nurses and midwives who face vicarious trauma. Although trauma-informed clinical supervision is established in allied health professions, research in nursing and midwifery is limited. As nurses and midwives also encounter traumatic experiences, further research into trauma-informed clinical supervision is needed. This review investigated trauma-informed clinical supervision in nursing and midwifery, asking the question: 'Can the six principles of trauma-informed care be integrated into clinical supervision for nurses and midwives?' An integrative review was employed, identifying seven published articles for inclusion which were then analysed using directed qualitative content analysis. Descriptive knowledge and understanding of the six principles of trauma-informed care (safety, trustworthiness and transparency, peer support, collaboration and mutuality, empowerment, voice and choice, and cultural, historical and gender issues) emerged from the data corpus. Although the extent and consistency of these understandings call for further investigation, the results may inform the development of a trauma-informed clinical supervision model for nurses and midwives. Further research may help clarify trauma-informed supervision and inform pedagogical strategies.