Job summary
Are you a passionate Professional Nurse Advocate ready to lead transformational change in staff wellbeing, education and support?
We are excited to offer a unique opportunity for an experienced and compassionate nurse to take on the role of Professional Nurse Advocate (PNA) Lead. This pivotal post will lead the implementation, delivery, and development of the Professional Advocate model across our Trust, shaping how we care for and support our nursing workforce.
As a champion of the A-EQUIP model and restorative clinical supervision, you will help embed a culture of psychological safety, continuous reflection, and professional resilience across all levels of nursing practice.
Main duties of the job
As PNA Lead, you will:
Deliver and oversee Trust-wide restorative supervision and PNA education
Provide strategic leadership, measuring and reporting on outcomes and impact
Support staff across all bands and specialties through complex professional and emotional challenges
Work collaboratively with divisions, corporate teams, and regional partners to shape a culture of compassionate leadership
Lead a team of Professional Advocates, providing supervision and guidance
Share learning from serious incidents, complaints, and staff feedback to improve both patient and staff experience
You'll have the autonomy to shape and scale our PNA model while contributing to Trust-wide wellbeing, quality improvement, and governance initiatives.
About You
We are looking for a dynamic, empathetic and driven individual with:
Current NMC registration as a Registered Nurse
A Level 7 Professional Nurse Advocate qualification
A Level 3 or above counselling qualification, with eligibility to practise
Extensive experience in clinical supervision, therapeutic support, and leadership
A strong grasp of clinical governance, safeguarding, and strategic healthcare delivery
Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to handle complex and sensitive situations with professionalism and compassion
Confidence in leading teams, managing competing priorities, and working across boundaries to influence positive change
About us
Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is the UK's leading heart and lung hospital, delivering care to more than 50,000 patients a year in its new state-of-the-art hospital in Cambridge. We perform the most heart and/or lung transplants in the UK and carried out the UK's first successful heart transplant in 1979. It also offers emergency heart attack treatment, sleep centre care and is one of just five centres nationally for those in severe respiratory failure.
Based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus the largest centre of medical research and health science in Europe the Trust is at the heart of treatments of the future. Royal Papworth became the first hospital trust in the country to be rated outstanding in all five areas assessed by the Care Quality Commission - a rating it still holds today. The Trust holds its values of compassion, excellence & collaboration at its core, and all colleagues joining the team are expected to uphold these in their day-to-day roles & interactions. Royal Papworth is proud of its diverse workforce and encourages people to embrace their individuality.
The Trust values difference and welcomes all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy & maternity, race, religion & belief, sex and sexual orientation. Providing they meet the minimum post criteria, applicants with disabilities will be offered an interview.
For a street view tour: https://royalpapworth.nhs.uk/virtual-tour
Job description
Job responsibilities
On this page you will find a Role Profile which provides information about the hospital and full details about the role. We recommend that you review this and refer to it as you complete your application. Please include how you will meet the Trust Values Compassion, Excellence and Collaboration. If you would like more information about the role or working at Royal Papworth Hospital, please get in touch with the contact for this role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
On this page you will find a Role Profile which provides information about the hospital and full details about the role. We recommend that you review this and refer to it as you complete your application. Please include how you will meet the Trust Values Compassion, Excellence and Collaboration. If you would like more information about the role or working at Royal Papworth Hospital, please get in touch with the contact for this role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and extensive clinical experience
- Educated to Master's level or equivalent clinical and leadership experience
- Holds a Level 7 Professional Nurse Advocate (PNA) qualification and a counselling qualification (minimum Level 3) with eligibility to practice
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable experience in delivering restorative clinical supervision, both one-to-one and in groups
- Proven experience in therapeutic support, leadership, and working within an ethical framework across multidisciplinary teams
- Strong understanding of clinical governance, safeguarding standards, and strategic challenges in healthcare
- Skilled in leading Trust-wide education initiatives and developing staff through high-quality PNA training programmes
- Able to manage sensitive and complex conversations, including serious incidents, complaints, and staff wellbeing concerns, with emotional intelligence and professionalism
- Confident in managing a busy and evolving workload, prioritising competing demands and leading a team effectively
- Committed to continuous improvement through stakeholder collaboration, use of KPIs, and promoting a psychologically safe and compassionate workplace culture
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Please provide evidence of your commitment to uphold the Trust's values: Compassion, Excellence, Collaboration
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and extensive clinical experience
- Educated to Master's level or equivalent clinical and leadership experience
- Holds a Level 7 Professional Nurse Advocate (PNA) qualification and a counselling qualification (minimum Level 3) with eligibility to practice
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable experience in delivering restorative clinical supervision, both one-to-one and in groups
- Proven experience in therapeutic support, leadership, and working within an ethical framework across multidisciplinary teams
- Strong understanding of clinical governance, safeguarding standards, and strategic challenges in healthcare
- Skilled in leading Trust-wide education initiatives and developing staff through high-quality PNA training programmes
- Able to manage sensitive and complex conversations, including serious incidents, complaints, and staff wellbeing concerns, with emotional intelligence and professionalism
- Confident in managing a busy and evolving workload, prioritising competing demands and leading a team effectively
- Committed to continuous improvement through stakeholder collaboration, use of KPIs, and promoting a psychologically safe and compassionate workplace culture
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Please provide evidence of your commitment to uphold the Trust's values: Compassion, Excellence, Collaboration
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
