NHS England » Professional nurse advocate (PNA): higher education institutions (HEI)/PNA training provider checklist

This professional nurse advocate (PNA) checklist forms part of the NHS England national PNA implementation guidance. It summarises the duties of the higher education institutions (HEI) and professional nurse advocate (PNA) training providers in delivering the PNA programme.

Essential PNA course requirements

Accredited at level 7.
15 or 20 credits.
PNA (nurse focused), not Professional Advocate or Professional Midwifery Advocate related.
PNA involvement in delivery.
Nurse-led.
Accredited with RCN, compliant with RCN PNA education standards.
For registered nurses only.

Key areas for HEIs/PNA training providers

Identify how you intend to deliver the programme in-house: face-to-face meetings, online meetings, blended approach, etc.
How many cohorts can you run? How many nurses per cohort?
What are your modes of assessment?
Do you have a contingency plan if any of the teaching staff become unavailable because of illness, or the programme is delayed?
Does the course programme align to the national PNA guidance?
Is the course aligned to the RCN PNA education standards?

In-house PNA training providers

Identify a partner HEI that will accredit the programme at Level 7

Contact the universities you would like to partner with; these could be those that have previously delivered the PNA programme.
Identify if they can deliver the programme within your costings; for example, will re-sits be covered within the price per student?
Check if they have capacity to support your delivery timeline.
Ensure they are happy to pay the RCN fee to align to the CN PNA education standards.
Check that they will ensure their programme is accredited at level 7, minimum of 15 credits or maximum of 20 credits.
Select the university that is the best fit to partner with and discuss your in-house delivery mode with it.

Information for your selected university partner

PNA course requirements and key areas outlined above.

Other information

Funding for private courses or in-house programmes; this would be via the trust’s CPD allowance for individual nurses within the trust.
National PNA team to be notified of places offered, the names of those qualifying and the number of qualified PNAs per region so these can be added to the national register.