ABSTRACT
Consultation about supervision is a further context for problem-solving in the hospital setting. The supervisor and social worker agreed to meet in the social work department for half an hour to discuss the problem. The social worker explained that her joining the group may make the situation worse as it could undermine the authority of the supervisor in the group and heighten the tension between the group member and supervisor. The supervisor agreed that the presence of the social worker in the group would possibly exacerbate the problem and for this reason the consultant was only with the consultee. If the consultant had been present at the meeting, the danger was that it could become supervision-of-supervision, which could undermine the nurse supervisor. Supervision is part of most working relationships in the hospital setting because of the hierarchy of accountability. Consultation can help supervisors reflect on their task and the associated difficulties.
