Sammanfattning
Background: Studies of peer-based study periods in clinical practice have mainly focused on students' experiences. There is less knowledge about the practice supervisor's function. Objective: To demonstrate how a peer-based study period affected the tutors’ function. Method: Qualitative study. Data sources were reflection notes, logs and focus group interviews. Data was structured under thematic headings. Results: Results provided insights into how a peer-based study period influenced the tutors’ function. The following themes were focused on: «How did the supervisors form their function?», «Which expectations did the supervisors have to students?», «What did the supervisors experience as challenging?» and «What did they experience as instructive in their function as supervisors?» Conclusion: The results showed that practice supervisors found it both challenging and stimulating to guide student pairs who also had supervisory responsibility. However, the guidance and feedback to students did not function as intended especially when there were weaknesses in the students’ performance. Despite preparatory guidance courses and group counseling with college teachers, it seemed as if lack of time and uncertainty in relation to their own supervisory skills prevented them from realizing their own function in these areas.