Susie Gurner
Susie has been a Registered Mental Health Nurse since 2008 when she qualified in Brighton. Susie worked in various inpatient units as a staff nurse and Charge Nurse/Deputy Ward Manager before spending several years in Team Lead roles, for Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment, Assertive Outreach and Community Mental Health Teams. Susie spent 3 years as Senior Nurse for Caerphilly County Borough and has recently moved into a more strategic role as Deputy Lead Nurse for Adult Mental Health in ABUHB. The All Wales Mental Health Nursing Framework states that supervision should be available to all nurses and it is part of Susie’s role to embed this in their culture and practice.
Susie developed an interest in supervision during her time in Crisis services, having seen a need to introduce regular reflection and emotional support for staff, and has completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Consultative Supervision. Susie has taken forward her passion for supervision by creating a model of providing Clinical Supervision to inpatient Mental Health Nurses in ABUHB and by teaching on the in house Clinical Supervisor course. She is currently completing her dissertation about this project.
What does clinical supervision for nurses mean to you?
I am passionate about recognising and celebrating the difficult work that nurses do. Supervision is a key tool in providing emotional support, reflective opportunities and wider thinking about one’s practice. I believe that for too long nurses have viewed supervision as being the work of other professions. While I value the richness that other disciplines can bring to a supervision relationship, I am keen to support nurses to develop the skill and knowledge to both deliver and receive good quality supervision themselves. I believe that nurses have much to offer in keeping each other engaged and inspired in providing high quality care, under pressure.
