Professional Nurse Coach Supervision: Relationships, Responsibilities, and Requirements.

The evolution of the role of the Professional Nurse Coach (NC) in recent years has been an empowering and innovative model for health and wellness for individuals, groups, communities, and populations. The relationships, requirements, and responsibilities of NC supervision to date, however, have not been fully examined. The aim of NC supervision is to provide feedback on the coaching process, and confidently guide the new NC to utilize creative problem-solving techniques and interventions. Themes emerge in supervision that can help expand competence and skills of coaching. Additionally, knowledge gaps may become apparent that would require further exploration or education. Articles on clinical supervision within the confines of nursing and other related disciplines do not highlight the challenges, responsibilities, or contractual obligations of the NC-Supervisor relationship. Without clear guidelines and identifiable themes within the supervisory experience, there are inconsistent parameters and confusion around supervision. This article will address the need for a consensus of a competency framework for NC clinical supervision and recommend a baseline strategy for guideline development. The article is relevant to the competencies associated with the ANA Standards of Professional Performance required for certification as an NC.

How Advanced Practice Holistic Nurses Meet International Criteria for Advanced Practice.

Much has been written about the inclusion of holistic nursing philosophy and practices in undergraduate nursing education, but their inclusion and influence in advanced practice nursing education have not been fully explored. Supporting a holistic paradigm and model of care founded on evidenced-based clinical theory allows for expanded nursing practice and health care options for patients. Holistic nursing aligns with culturally competent, patient-centered care and is consistent with how our current health care landscape has evolved in recent years. Health care reform highlights a new direction in practice toward self-transformation, accountability, natural treatment options, and a patient's active role in health care decisions. To demonstrate the role, this article will address how advanced practice holistic nurses meet the International Council of Nurses Criteria for Advanced Practice and is substantially equivalent and exceeds current APRN competencies.

A Proactive Innovation for Health Care Transformation: Health and Wellness Nurse Coaching.

A cohort of holistic nurses, recognizing opportunities inherent in health care transformation, organized and worked together from 2009 to 2012. The goal was to hold space for holistic nursing by developing a health and wellness coaching role and certification program for holistic nurses. The intent was to ensure that holistic nurses could work to the fullest of their ability within the evolving health care system, and others could discover the merit of holistic nursing as they explored the possibilities of nurse coaching. Challenges emerged that required the cohort plan strategies that would hold the space for nursing while also moving toward the intended goal. As they worked, this cohort demonstrated leadership skills, knowledge, values, and attitudes of holistic nursing that provide an example for others who follow in the wake of health care transformation. The American Holistic Credentialing Corporation's perspective of the events that unfolded and of the related decisions made by the coalition provides a record of the evolution of holistic nursing.

A Systematic Review of the Literature on Health and Wellness Coaching: Defining a Key Behavioral intervention in Healthcare.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Review the operational definitions of health and wellness coaching as published in the peer-reviewed medical literature. BACKGROUND: As global rates of preventable chronic diseases have reached epidemic proportions, there has been an increased focus on strategies to improve health behaviors and associated outcomes. One such strategy, health and wellness coaching, has been inconsistently defined and shown mixed results. METHODS: A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-guided systematic review of the medical literature on health and wellness coaching allowed for compilation of data on specific features of the coaching interventions and background and training of coaches. RESULTS: Eight hundred abstracts were initially identified through PubMed, with 284 full-text articles ultimately included. The majority (76%) were empirical articles. The literature operationalized health and wellness coaching as a process that is fully or partially patient-centered (86% of articles), included patient-determined goals (71%), incorporated self-discovery and active learning processes (63%) (vs more passive receipt of advice), encouraged accountability for behaviors (86%), and provided some type of education to patients along with using coaching processes (91%). Additionally, 78% of articles indicated that the coaching occurs in the context of a consistent, ongoing relationship with a human coach who is trained in specific behavior change, communication, and motivational skills. CONCLUSIONS: Despite disparities in how health and wellness coaching have been operationalized previously, this systematic review observes an emerging consensus in what is referred to as health and wellness coaching; namely, a patient-centered process that is based upon behavior change theory and is delivered by health professionals with diverse backgrounds. The actual coaching process entails goal-setting determined by the patient, encourages self-discovery in addition to content education, and incorporates mechanisms for developing accountability in health behaviors. With a clear definition for health and wellness coaching, robust research can more accurately assess the effectiveness of the approach in bringing about changes in health behaviors, health outcomes and associated costs that are targeted to reduce the global burden of chronic disease.

Ground zero: holistic care for the first responders of 9/11.

Holistic nurses bring a dynamic tool box to the front lines of caring. We offer specialized clinical knowledge that embodies holistic values, principles and therapies. These skills and competencies prepare us to provide the best possible holistic care, even in the most unfavorable circumstances.