Queensland Health roll out NZMC peer supervision training to 2000 staff

Australian health-care provider Queensland Health is rolling out the New Zealand Mentoring Centre training course The Power of Peer Supervision to 2000 employees in 2 districts over 5 years.

After running peer supervision training for the last four years for Queensland Health, the NZ Mentoring Centre has just completed its first train the trainer course. This will enable QH trainers to roll out the peer supervision model throughout the state for allied health staff including occupational therapists, mental health nurses, psychologists, indigenous workers, speech pathologists and physiotherapists - all professions that need the chance to review their practice in order to develop their professional competence.

As part of its commitment to improving professional standards in health care and with the successful evaluation of peer supervision pilots, the decision was made to make a long term investment in this approach to supervision.

Six trainers were selected who had sufficient experience in peer supervision, training skills and a commitment to promoting supervision within their own discipline areas. A 2 day train the trainer process with ongoing support from the Centre will enable them to run 20 trainings per year using the NZMC training course and materials. Aly McNicoll, the programme designer in conjunction with Borderless Productions developed a DVD for trainers to use which provides demonstrations of the peer supervision tools in action.

The peer supervision evaluation studies conducted so far have shown that Queensland Health staff have valued the opportunity to share knowledge and experience with each other and engage in in-depth discussions about clinical practice. The high levels of trust and safety that develop within peer supervision groups provide a consequence free environment for review. Individuals report they talk more openly in peer supervision than in their hierarchical supervision sessions.

Attraction and retention of staff is a key issue for Queensland Health, especially for remote and rural workers. Peer supervision has increased levels of professional support, and this in term impacts on both quality of care for clients and levels of staff satisfaction. Peer Supervision groups are an established item in the professional support toolbox for Allied Health staff in Queensland Health and evaluation of this project will provide valuable evidence to promote peer supervision as a credible option for supervision for health professionals world wide.