Public health nurses' supervision of clients in Norway.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to explore and describe what public health nurses (PHNs) understand by client supervision and how they perform it.


BACKGROUND
The main principles of the health promotion discourse initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) over the last 20-30 years are client participation and the view of the client as expert. Supervision is one relevant intervention strategy in the empowerment process, in which these principles play a central role. There is a lack of research pertaining to the intervention models employed by PHNs.


METHODS
Twenty-three transcribed audiotaped dialogues between PHNs and their clients were analysed by means of qualitative content analysis.


RESULTS
What the PHNs understand by supervision and how they perform it can be described by three themes: continuity in relationships and reflexivity in the supervision approach, communicating with the client about his/her needs, problems and worries; and the organization of client supervision.


CONCLUSIONS
The PHNs in this study understand client supervision as communication and relationships with clients on the subject of a healthy lifestyle, child development and coping with everyday life. The PHNs' approach to client supervision seemed to include aspects of empowerment by means of client participation and the view of the client as expert. However, the PHNs themselves had an expert role.
Tveiten
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Akershus University College, Faculty of Nursing, Lillestrøm, Norway. Sidsel.Tveiten@hiak.no
Severinsson
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D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010358:Patient Participation; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000379:methods; D012944:Social Support