An evaluation of time spent by midwives on supervisory activities

It has recently been suggested that supervisors of midwives spend one day a fortnight on supervisory activities, but this assumption did not rest on empirical evidence. A survey of all supervisors in England, facilitated by the LSA Midwifery Officers (England), was therefore undertaken to calculate the amount of time supervisors estimate they spend on supervision and identify potential variations across the country. Supervisors estimated that they spend a day a week on supervision, but the study also identified major differences in the perception of the role: most supervisors identified specific times spent on supervisory tasks while a minority was more likely to identify supervision as an intrinsic part of their midwifery activities. This phenomenon was not affected by length of qualification or number of hours worked, but was more common in H grade midwives and in some LSA regions. Further research would be useful to identify potential differences in the style and characteristics of these different groups of supervisors.