ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a North American perspective of clinical supervision. It
notes that within the United States of America (USA), the term clinical super-
visor is synonymous with the relationship between an administrator or super-
visor and another. However, professional relationships that share the
underpinning philosophies and many of the dynamics of (British) clinical
supervision are to be found in the USA, in both education and practice. The
author points out that if clinical supervision is interpreted in its broadest sense,
the experiences of a preceptor and nurse practitioner student are comparable to
the experiences of a clinical supervisor and a nurse supervisee. The expected
outcomes for both include growth in the professional role, increased knowl-
edge of possible solutions to clinical problems, increased confidence, and
increased self-awareness. The author also points out that clinical supervision
and the process of preceptoring nurse practitioners also share common difficul-
ties, such as a lack of formal standardised training. The chapter also includes a
summary of the North American research in this area.
