Nurse Coaching is a Relatively New Nursing Specialty

Betsy Appleton, RN

I first saw the words "Nurse Coach" in a brochure of courses offered at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. I was intrigued and signed up to take the 4-day course. Unfortunately, my mother had an urgent health issue, and I was unable to attend. However, the seed had been planted, and when an ad for a Nurse Coaching course popped on my facebook feed, I clicked on it, and I am now so glad that I did!

Nurse Coaching is a relatively new specialty in the field of nursing. While the concept has been in formulation really since the foundation of nursing was laid by Florence Nightingale, Nurse Coaching as a formal title didn't come into being until the 2000s. In 2013, the American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA), as well as 19 other nursing organizations officially recognized the role of a Nurse Coach. A Nurse Coach is a Registered Nurse who has obtained additional training in the field of coaching, psychology, lifestyle medicine, and the science of human change. Nurse Coaching has a board certification offered by the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation. A candidate for the exam must have proof of going through an accredited 120-hour course as well as the requisite number of hours of coaching practice. Nurse Coach training places a lot of emphasis on the nurse learning integrative health methods such as healthy eating, breathing techniques, meditation, and yoga for themselves as well as starting or continuing their own journey of personal growth.

Nurses are uniquely qualified to be coaches as they have probably already done a lot of coaching to patients in the course of being a nurse. Plus, they have the perspective of being in healthcare and can help clients navigate the healthcare system. Nurse Coaches go on to start their own practices working with clients 1:1 and/or with groups, collaborating with other health care practitioners, creating programs within hospitals for staff, patients, or both, and many other things. Some have created wellness centers; others have linked things like adventure trips to their coaching business – there are lots of creative ways that nurses have used their unique talents and training. Since there is not yet a national nursing license, Nurse Coaches can only practice as a Nurse Coach in the state(s) that they have a current nursing license. Nurse Coaches can have a virtual practice as long as they are licensed in the same state as where their clients reside.

When I talk about being a Nurse Coach, I am often asked, "so you coach nurses?” to which I answer, "I can, but I am qualified to coach anyone who desires to make a change in their life.”

What is the nurse coaching experience? It can be dynamic, fluid, spiritual, intuitive, heart-opening, self-discovering, enlightening, joyous, and sometimes painful as one faces their fears and blocks. Most of all, though, it is a transformative experience, and one is never the same after having it! Having someone with you as you go on your transformation journey to guide, support, listen, occasionally challenge, and ALWAYS have your back is invaluable towards creating lasting change and obtaining your goals.

Nurse Coaches are creating change in our current system of healthcare by moving away from a put-out fires, symptom management model and towards one focused on holistic wellness and healing the WHOLE person.

Sound interesting? There are now a few programs out there that offer courses. Check out the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation for more information.

If you are interested in experiencing nurse coaching yourself, there are quite a few coaches with an online presence. Try a search and see what comes up!

References/Resources

Nurse Coaching through a Nursing Lens: The Theory of Integrative Nurse Coaching

Nurse Coaching is a Relatively New Nursing Specialty

About Betsy Appleton, RN

Share on other sites

More Like This