Clinical supervision enables nurses to discuss patient care in a safe, supportive environment. Through participation in CS nurses are able to provide feedback and input to their colleagues in an effort to increase understanding about clinical issues. In this sense CS is designed to serve a peer‑educative function. The opportunity to discuss general issues in relation to patient care also opens a window of opportunity to develop consistent approaches toward individual patients and their families. In this sense, CS provides nurses with an opportunity to improve patient care in particular for a given patient and in general in relation to maintaining standards of care. In addition, CS provides an avenue for nurses to demonstrate active support for each other as professional colleagues. Through sharing and understanding they come to realise that they are ‘not alone’ in their feelings and perceptions, thus providing reassurance and validation.