Mothy Aravind Thaliyadath has qualified as Airedale’s first Professional Nurse Advocate.
Kerala-born Nurse, Mothy, from Steeton was presented with her certificate and badge on 19 May 2022 after passing the course in March 2022.
Mothy said:
“I am excited for the responsibility this qualification will give me and the bond I am able to form with my colleagues to support them.”
The PNA programme was launched in March 2021 by Chief Nursing Officer, Ruth May, with the aim of reducing some of the staff pressures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The role of the PNA is to improve patient care and staff wellbeing by providing support to fellow nursing colleagues. The funded master’s level study programme trains nurses to deliver restorative supervision. During these sessions, PNAs listen to the demands and challenges faced by their peers and use this information to deliver quality improvement initiatives which has shown to be effective in improving burnout and anxiety.
Jane McSharry, Senior Nurse in Practice Development at Airedale said:
“I am delighted that Mothy has passed as she will be an excellent resource for colleagues in her own department and for other nurses training to become PNAs.
“Mothy will be able to support quality improvement initiatives in the workplace and has the ability to support colleagues during challenging times which will hopefully lead to improved nurse retention in the future.”
After graduating and specialising in Critical Care Nursing for two years in Kerala, Mothy decided to move to the UK to continue nursing.
Mothy said:
“Once I completed the exams to come to the UK, it was difficult to pick where I wanted to work.
“After being offered an interview for Airedale, I did some research and asked friends about the area and felt as though Airedale was the place for me as it seemed like a caring hospital in the heart of nature.”
Mothy began her career at Airedale as a Health Care Support Worker in 2020 and became a Staff Nurse on the Acute Assessment Unit after passing the OSCE exams. In December 2021, she was promoted to Junior Sister.
Jane McSharry said:
“This is a real achievement for Mothy as she has relocated to the UK from India and has overcome the barriers of working within a different culture throughout the pandemic and undertaking study at Masters level when English is her second language.”
The national aim is to have one PNA for every 20 registered nurses in England by April 2024 and it is hoped that Mothy will lead the way for other nurses at Airedale gaining their qualification.
Amanda Stanford, Chief Nurse at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust said:
“I am incredibly proud to see Mothy qualify as Airedale NHSFT’s first Professional Nurse Advocate.
“Mothy has worked hard to gain this qualification and is passionate about the support she is able to provide to her colleagues.
“This is an amazing achievement and I hope Mothy paves the way and inspires other nurses to join the programme.”
