References
The personal and professional impacts of becoming and being a professional nurse advocate
Abstract
Background:
The professional nurse advocate (PNA) is a relatively new employer-led role, designed to deploy the A-EQUIP (Advocating and Educating for QUality ImProvement) model of professional nursing leadership and restorative clinical supervision.
Aim:
This article describes the self-perceived personal and professional impacts of becoming and being a PNA.
Methods:
A secondary qualitative analysis of interview-derived data from qualified PNAs.
Findings:
A total of 183 codes were developed from the data. These were grouped to form 19 categories, of which the majority characterised positive impacts of being a PNA. Participants described a wide range of personal and professional benefits, together with accounts of conflicts, insecurities, emotional encounters and communication challenges in the role.
Conclusion:
The study findings strengthen the case for organisational use of A-EQUIP in the workplace and help to showcase the significant contribution of the PNA role to staff wellbeing, education and quality improvements in care.
Clinical supervision, ‘a formal process of professional support, reflection and learning’ (Butterworth, 2022: 20) is an internationally recognised professional practice that can achieve benefits for the organisation, patient services and the providers of health and social care (Rothwell et al, 2021). Clinical supervision is well regarded in the literature as a supportive platform for nurses to reflect on and develop their practice (Masamha et al, 2022) and an evidence-based means to improve the effectiveness of care (Snowdon et al, 2017). Multiple models and frameworks of clinical supervision (Zonneveld et al, 2024) and varied modes of delivery (Gill-Meeley et al, 2024) have been developed and researched, including Wallbank's model of restorative clinical supervision (Wallbank, 2016); an established approach to support the emotional needs of staff. In recent years, clinical supervision has gained recognition as an integral part of professional healthcare practice and support (Cosgrove and Ashcroft, 2025), with increased prominence in contemporary nursing heightened by workplace pressures and the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic (Jones, 2023).
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting British Journal of Nursing and reading some of our peer-reviewed resources for nurses. To read more, please register today. You’ll enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Limited access to clinical or professional articles
-
Unlimited access to the latest news, blogs and video content