Abstract

This chapter explores the origins of clinical supervision and proposes reasons why it was adopted into the profession at that particular time in history, questioning whether clinical supervision is just another fad that has entered the nursing language and culture. Undoubtedly the nursing profession is prone to fashions and fads and at times it is difficult to differentiate what is useful and what is a whim. The chapter then examines the conceptual overlap of similar terms such as mentoring and preceptorship and identifies some key features of clinical supervision.