HOLISTIC NURSE COACHING

Holistic Nurse Coach Leadership Can Transform Healthcare by SUSAN LUCK RN, BS, MA, HNC, CCN; BARBARA DOSSEY PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN; BONNEY GULINO SCHAUB RN, MS, PMHCNS-BC © Scott Sawyer 2010

8 Beginnings | American Holistic Nurses Association WINTER 2011 Holistic nurses have many of the tools that are part of core coaching competencies, including relationship-centered care.

n important component of In 2009, the Samueli Institute (Jonas, coaching standards and establishing healthcare reform is a renewed 2009) crafted a document promoting a relationship between health and focus on wellness, prevention a Wellness Initiative for the Nation wellness coaching and (Donner and health promotion. It has (WIN) in collaboration with leaders & Wheeler, 2009). beenA proposed that health coaches play a in the fields of health policy, health major role in the delivery of these services promotion, and integrative healthcare Holistic Nursing Leadership in a to patients and consumers. Registered practices. The authors suggested several Nurse Coach Model professional nurse coaches are the ideal important ways to help move the United On a national level, in both education practitioners to take a leading role in States towards a more healthy society and health policy, there is a growing this healthcare delivery model. Coaching with a greatly expanded wellness and concern for establishing educational has become a rapidly growing role in the prevention infrastructure. The Wellness competencies and standards of practice private and corporate sector. The goals of Initiative proposed training thousands for health coaches—and there are many wellness and lifestyle coaching in health of full-time, community based “health questions being asked about who will fill care are to improve health outcomes and wellness” coaches to work on this role. Several professional coaching and reduce health costs for individuals, chronic disease prevention through programs have been created, including employers, insurance companies and comprehensive lifestyle and integrative those at Duke University, Harvard, the nation. This development provides healthcare approaches with a mission to and at the University of Minnesota’s nurses with an exciting opportunity to transform and the health of Center for Spirituality and Healing. reclaim, reaffirm and expand their role in our nation. Many disciplines, including psychology, health promotion, health education, patient medicine, pharmacy and nursing, are support, and advocacy by adding coaching Nurses Speak Both the Language of exploring a professional certification for expertise to their professional skills. Health Care and of Whole-Person healthcare coaches. It is an important According to the National Centers Healing moment for nursing to take a leadership for Disease Control and Prevention, more From a holistic nursing perspective, role as coaching certification is imminent than 133 million adults, or nearly half of it is imperative that coaches have a across diverse professions. This has all adults in the United States, are living broad foundation of clinical knowledge, implications for future health policy, with at least one chronic disease such experience and skills, as well as a strong reimbursement, and for changing the as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular foundation in professional ethics, to health of our nation. disease (Centers for Disease Control and offer supportive tools and strategies Nurse coaching is a new area of Prevention, 2010). According to a new for improving long-term health. With expertise and a new skill set that can report released Nov. 15, 2010, by health more than 3 million nurses in the build upon a holistic nursing foundation. insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc, more U.S. workforce in all sectors of health An authentic coaching relationship is than half of Americans will have diabetes care — including communities and not counseling. It is now evident that or be pre-diabetic by 2020 at a cost to corporations — nurse coaches will there is a need to develop nurse coach the U.S. healthcare system of $3.35 have the opportunity to promote the and nurse coaching definitions and trillion if current trends go on unabated value of new models for health, resiliency competencies. Holistic nurses have many (UnitedHealth Group, n.d.). and well-being. This model has proven of the tools that are part of core coaching Growing evidence shows, and to be most effective when implemented competencies, including a focus on experienced nurses know, that the in primary prevention, management relationship-centered care. In addition, suffering these diseases produce can be of chronic medical issues, avoiding we have both AHNA’s and ANA’s Scope reduced or prevented through education hospitalization, and post hospitalization and Standards of Holistic Nursing Practice and behavioral changes. Nurses, through aftercare—all sectors where nurses have (American Holistic Nurses Association/ their professional outreach to the already assumed the role of health coach. American Nurses Association, 2007). As organizations, communities, work Recently, the International Council nurses, we come into the coaching role settings, schools and individuals that of Nurses (ICN), partnered with the skilled and educated in giving expert they serve, are in an ideal position to Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta holistic nursing advice as well as offering implement this vision by providing the Tau International in releasing “Coaching noninvasive modalities to enhance necessary guidance, support, motivation in Nursing,” a document that emphasizes the healing process. Although these and expertise. nursing leadership’s role in creating continued on page 10

WINTER 2011 American Holistic Nurses Association | Beginnings 9 Susan Luck RN, BS, MA, HNC, CCN Nurse coaching is a new area of is a holistic , medical anthropologist and clinical nutritionist who expertise and a new skill set that can build has been practicing in integrative healthcare models both in the United States and abroad, upon a holistic nursing foundation. specializing in nutrition, immunology, and women’s health and the environment. She is currently director of the Integrative Nursing Institute, an educational organization focusing on holistic nursing leadership. are all vital services that we provide to has the potential to strengthen holistic She is core faculty in the Integrative Nurse enhance well-being in individuals, it is nursing’s role in the transformation of Coach Certification Program (INCCP) different from coaching. Nurse coaches our healthcare system and the health of and is program director for the Integrative assist individuals in accessing their our nation. Nursing Institute. She continues to maintain inner wisdom and in motivating and References a private practice as an Integrative Nurse deepening their awareness for behavioral American Holistic Nurses Association/American Coach. www.earthroseinstitute.org and change. Holistic nurses often have an Nurses Association. (2007). Holistic Nursing: www.integrativenursinginstitute.org orientation in counseling, educating and Scope and standards of practice. Silver Spring, instructing their patients and clients on MD: Nursesbooks.org. Barbara Dossey PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN the healthier choices that are essential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. is internationally recognized as a pioneer along the continuum to wellness. (2010). Vital signs: State-specific obesity in the holistic nursing movement. She is a In June 2010, the AHNA appointed prevalence among adults — United scholar and a nurse States, 2009. Morbidity and Mortality a Nurse Coach Task Force to address theorist. She is International co-director of professional nurse coaching and to Weekly Report, 59, 1-5. Donner, G., & Wheeler, M. (2009). Coaching the Nightingale Initiative for Global Health explore a national holistic nurse coach in nursing: An introduction. Indianapolis, (NIGH); co-director of the Integrative certification process. In September 2010, IN: International Council of Nursing & Nurse Coach Certificate Program (INCCP), AHNA Leadership Council representatives . Retrieved November Huntington, N.Y.; and director of Holistic and the AHNA Nurse Coach Task Force 27, 2010, from http://www.icn.ch/ Nursing Consultants (HNC), Santa Fe, N.M. participated in an invitation-only, National images/stories/documents/pillars/sew/ She has authored or co-authored 23 books Professional Coaching Summit sponsored coaching_in_nursing.pdf. including Florence Nightingale: Mystic, by Harvard, to establish professional core Hess, D., Bark, L., & Southard, M.E. Visionary, Healer (2010, Commemorative (2010, September). White paper: competencies, educational standards, Edition); Holistic Nursing: A Handbook and to develop a certification process for Holistic nurse coaching. Summit on standards & credentialing of professional for Practice (5th ed., 2008); and Florence professional coaches. In preparation for coaches in healthcare & wellness. Paper Nightingale Today: Healing, Leadership, this meeting, the AHNA Nurse Coach presented to National Credentialing Global Action (2005). www.dosseydossey. Task Force drafted the White Paper: Team for Professional Coaches in com and www.nightingaledeclaration.net. Holistic Nurse Coaching (Hess, Bark, Healthcare, Boston, MA. Retrieved from & Southard, 2010). They presented http://www.wellcoach.com/images/ Bonney Gulino Schaub RN, MS, this paper to the entire Summit, WhitePaperHolisticNurseCoaching.pdf PMHCNS-BC is co-director of the demonstrating and educating other Jonas, W. (2009). Wellness Initiative for the Integrative Nurse Coach Certificate Program Nation, 2009. Retrieved November 27, disciplines about how holistic nurses, (INCCP) and co-director of the Huntington with their scope of practice and strongly 2010, from http://www.samueliinstitute. org/news/news-home/WIN-Home.html Meditation and Imagery Center (HMIC). defined foundation of professional ethics UnitedHealth Group. (n.d.). Addressing the Bonney has trained and mentored the and deep understanding of the nurse growing epidemic of diabetes and prediabetes. careers of hundreds of health professionals patient relationship, are in the position to Retrieved November 27, 2010, from www. internationally in the clinical uses of lead this national effort for the emerging unitedhealthgroup.com/diabetes. meditation and imagery. She integrates these coaching model. and other mind/body skills into her coaching An integrative, holistic nurse coach Editor’s Note: The authors of this practice. Bonney has co-authored, with her model presents our profession with article were all members of the AHNA husband Richard, three books on the process exciting and creative opportunities to Nurse Coach Certification Task Force, of healing and new development: Healing be leaders in transforming health care, which has been disbanded. They have Addictions: The Vulnerability Model as new models in nursing leadership partnered in creating an Integrative of Recovery (2007); Dante’s Path: emerge and are supported by the U.S. Nurse Coaching Certificate Program A Practical Approach to Achieving Institute of Medicine and the ANA. (INCCP) for holistic nurses. To learn Inner Wisdom (2005); and The End of Nurse coaching along with certification more about the program, go to: Fear: A Spiritual Path for Realists (2009). leading to reimbursement opportunities www.integrativenursecoach.com www.huntingtonmeditation.com

10 Beginnings | American Holistic Nurses Association WINTER 2011