Even before the pandemic set in, nurses around the globe have always complained of burnout. They reach the peak of exhaustion, and research shows that nurses suffer from burnout syndrome in hospitals and medical facilities, which is a serious challenge. It leads to mental pressure, errors, a decline in performance, decreased safety of patient poor management and organization, and others. This is one of the reasons nurse coaching has acquired immense popularity in the past few years.
What is nurse coaching?
Nurse coaching enables one to practice the profession independently while helping the patients to achieve their health goals. An integrative lifestyle combining mental and physical well-being is the optimal goal of the nursing profession. A nurse coach engages with individuals, their families, and others and makes a huge difference in their lives.
The coaching field is completely distinct from the high-pressure, long, working environment that nurses are usually used to. The outcome of nurse coaching is enhanced satisfaction with the nursing career and better results for patients and clients.
Becoming a nurse coach
The AHNA (American Holistic Nurses Association) considers the profession as a result-oriented, and structured communication with patients and helping them to cater to their health-related goals. It is all about offering motivation and the right tools to make decisions in areas of life that have been a challenge in maintaining optimal health and fitness.
The responsibility of the nurse coaching is to promote the process of healing via patient-nurse collaboration, education, and constant evaluation. One might come to terms with a nurse life coach, nurse wellness coach, and integrative nurse coach. All these terminologies are the same as nurse coaching. Due to the wide array of benefits, more nurses are opting for the profession.
Working on one’s terms and conditions
When one becomes a nurse coach, he/she has the discretion of interacting with the patients as desired. One of the best aspects is creating a personalized healing environment by bringing creativity and intuition into play. Furthermore, if one practice privately, he/she is the boss and can set his/her working hours as per the convenience. Working on one’s terms and conditions without any pressure is one of the benefits that propel a lot of individuals to take up nurse coaching.
Making difference in the healthcare system
In several healthcare environments, a nurse has to handle multiple patients at a given time. Thanks to nurse coaching, the patients can experience one-on-one time with the nurses. This indicates that there can be genuine and long-term connections between patients and nurses, which proves to be helpful in the healing process.
The nurses don’t have to run from one room to the other sparing only a few minutes of interaction with patients. Apart from interacting about the diagnoses and treatment methodology, the nurses get to know more about the patient and his/her day-to-day lifestyle. This helps in formulating a better and more customized patient-care schedule by the nurses. The nurse coach is someone who creates and promotes creative and new approaches to optimizing health and wellness. Nurse coaching is an excellent way for nurses to get recognized for their contributions in the field and also to help patients to improve their health and wellbeing.
A significant contribution to the field
Often due to excessive overload and pressure, nurses are tired and feel that they are tied to limitations and not contributing enough to the patient-care system. Nurses working long hours of shifts don’t have the time to relax and find out the problems in a specific patient and the ways things can be improved towards his/her optimal health goals. In other words, the nurses have to act like robots without the much-needed nurse-patient collaboration. On the other hand, a nurse coach can relieve herself/himself from such a cycle and facilitate the discovery of better and more creative ways of healing and wellness.
Thriving career option
Nurses hold a significant position in the healthcare system. It is considered an ethical professional and the bridge between medicine and humans. It won’t be wrong to mention that nursing is the heart of healthcare. The concept of the new model of patient-centered care and well-being is much appreciated. Nurse coaching is not new, but the benefits and the requirement of it are finally getting all the recognition it deserves. It is a cost-effective healing process and the improved health of patients is making it widely practiced in healthcare systems around the world.
Using the nurse coaching model, the patients feel they are being heard and can actively engage in their healthcare and well-being decisions. Furthermore, practicing it regularly also creates a positive and joyful space to promote better health and well-being of patients. It has become a thriving career option for people who want to contribute to the healthcare system significantly.
Holistic healing process
The conventional and modern healthcare system has been saving the lives of innumerable people over the years. With the integration of nurse coaching and alternative medicines with the traditional healthcare system creates a holistic approach to patient care. Holistic healing is one of the assets of nurse coaching and the reason for which it is widely practiced around the world in medical facilities. Nurse coaching facilitates holistic healing that considers the optimal health and wellness involving his/her body, mind, soul, and emotions. Studies have revealed that holistic treatment proves to be a better and more efficient method of patient care.
No more exhaustion and burnout
Nurse burnout syndrome is a real thing and makes one feel horrible about oneself. It makes one experience fatigue and irritation in every aspect of life. Nurses who experience burnout and extreme exhaustion from long working shifts and maddening work pressure start getting depressed and don’t feel joy in anything and start losing interest even in their work that has been once a pride. Thanks to nurse coaching that the burnout syndrome can be wiped away. The practice focuses on self-care so that optimal patient care and healing can be rendered. Furthermore, nurses started feeling satisfied with their work and enjoy contributing to the better lifestyle of others.
Conclusion
From the above-mentioned benefits, it is clear that nurse coaching is a popular concept today. Though it is not new but has gained the limelight in the healthcare system. Hospitals and medical facilities are giving recognition to nursing coaching in the healing and optimal patient care.
