As soon as I found out about the PNA role I was immediately interested as I knew this kind of support was very much needed.
Being able to provide restorative supervision is so important. This means giving staff protected time to speak freely and honestly about anything that affects them.
This can be what’s happening in their home life as well as at work. Talking about any recognised or perceived gaps in knowledge and what training we can offer to support.
Having this dedicated time helps to allay any fears that have built up – being able to air them and know it’s ok makes all the difference.
From my own perspective I found the PNA training helped me to cement my existing knowledge in leadership and development. I also gained a greater understanding about performing restorative supervision, and encouraging individuals to find solutions for themselves rather than giving them the answers.
I also understand more about my own coping strategies, recognising burnout when it starts and the importance of talking to colleagues regularly, signposting them to support and other services that I think might help.
For example, during one group session for newly qualified staff a few issues were identified and swiftly managed. Feedback afterwards also identified ways to make the preceptorship period better and participants said they had found the session extremely beneficial.
I very much recommend the PNA training. I think it is so important to look after our existing workforce, especially at the current time when everyone is under so much pressure leading to absences related to stress and anxiety.
Join our PNA Community!
We need at least 250 PNAs in the organisation to support our nursing staff.
We are also establishing a support network for PNAs to ensure we all receive clinical supervision and have the support to develop our own skills as a PNA.
