As community mental health services expand in scope and responsibility, mental health nurses are playing a central role in delivering integrated, recovery-oriented care. However, they face substantial challenges in adapting to community practice and sustaining professional development. Clinical supervision can mitigate these demands through its formative, normative, restorative functions. This study explored the supervision experiences of community mental health nurse specialists in South Korea to provide evidence for specifying the effective functions and operational systems of supervision using an exploratory qualitative design. Twelve community mental health nurse specialists participated in three focus group interviews conducted between June 2024 and July 2025. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes and 10 subthemes were generated: translating community mental health ideals into professional practice; serving as an anchor in unfamiliar terrain; supervision undermined by superficiality and disrespect; and competency development constrained by structural barriers. Supervision was perceived as a critical space for clarifying clinical direction, regulating emotional involvement and supporting professional adaptation. However, formalistic delivery and structural constraints limited its impact. These findings highlight the need for integrated and systematic supervision approaches aligned with the community mental health paradigm, supported by organisational and policy commitments to protected time, staffing, education and financial resources. Strengthening supervision under such conditions may enhance practitioner development and service user outcomes.
Ahn et al. (Wed,) studied this question.