Clinical supervision among nurses developing into advanced practice roles in the UK: a systematic review

Background: Clinical supervision is well established in general nursing, but its implementation within advanced practice roles remains variable across the UK. Aims: This systematic review evaluates qualitative evidence on how nurses developing into advanced practice roles in the UK experience clinical supervision, exploring its reported benefits, challenges and implications for workforce development and policy. Methods: A comprehensive search of CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library and grey literature sources was conducted to October 2025. Studies using qualitative methods to explore UK nurses' experiences of clinical supervision in advanced practice roles were eligible. Quality was appraised using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for qualitative research, and findings were synthesised thematically. Results: Five key themes were identified from the studies that met the inclusion criteria. Across studies, clinical supervision was reported to be associated with enhanced confidence, reflective capacity and emotional sustainability. However, access to effective supervision remained inconsistent, with commonly reported barriers including workload pressures, variable supervisor expertise and limited protected time. Conclusions: Clinical supervision offers important emotional, educational and professional value for nurses transitioning into advanced practice roles. However, its implementation remains uneven across UK healthcare settings. Implications for practice: The findings highlight the need for structured supervision frameworks, protected supervisory time, and supervisors with appropriate advanced practice expertise to support professional development and the sustainability of advanced practice roles.