What Is A Nurse Coach?

There are currently over three million nurses in the United States. These healers  play a vital role in our healthcare system and society, treating illnesses and keeping our bodies healthy. But often, their expertise is only skin deep, which leaves us nurses wanting more.

However, these days nurses can play a much bigger role in their patients’ overall well-being. One of the best ways to do so is by becoming a Nurse Coach.

Here’s everything you need to know about this exciting and fast-growing specialty, including how to become a Nurse Coach.

What is a Nurse Coach?

In 2013, a book entitled “The Art and Science of Nurse Coaching” hit the market and changed the world of nursing. The book described a new kind of nursing practice: Nurse Coaching.

This term refers to a Registered Nurse who focuses on holistic health by enhancing the overall wellness of their patients. Nurse coaches combine the skills they’ve learned in the medical field with lifestyle coaching to help their patients elevate their mental, physical, and spiritual health. 

While Nurse Coaching is a newer field, it’s growing rapidly. There are now thousands of Nurse Coaches across the country, transforming the paradigm of healthcare as we know it. 

The best part? It’s not just continuing education. It’s a nationally accredited board certification, which sets you apart from any other non-licensed health coach out there. AHNCC (American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation) requires aspiring Nurse Coaches to prove competencies and demonstrate continued learning before they become Board Certified.

The Nurse Coach Collective

What Sets Nurse Coaching Apart from Other Specialties?

Nurse Coaches work with their patients on a deeper and more individualized level than traditional nurses. One of the benefits of a Nurse Coach is that these holistic practitioners are more than just knowledgeable medical professionals. 

They’re also deep listeners, discussing life’s hurdles without judgment and providing a source of positivity and strength. Regardless of whether a patient meets their Nurse Coach in person or virtually, individually or as part of a peer support group, these health coaching services can help promote greater well-being, motivation, and accountability for change.

All of this adds up to one simple fact:

Nurse Coaches are elite communicators, powerful agents of change, and exactly what has been missing from the medical model.

The Nurse Coach Collective

Benefits of Becoming a Nurse Coach

As Registered Nurses, we enter the medical field because we want to help others. Of course, we do a world of good for people every day, but haven’t you felt compelled to help your patients and community even more? Nurse Coaching gives you that opportunity to reach more people while facilitating holistic healing in the mind, spirit, and body.

Additionally, becoming a Nurse Coach can give you a competitive edge in the nursing field. As we mentioned earlier, there are several million nurses in the U.S. — but the AHNCC has only certified around 1,000 Nurse Coaches. Getting certified in this field of nursing can help you land and secure a position at a private practice, group practice, or other medical facility.

And most importantly, you’ll experience more fulfillment, freedom, and creativity in your career than you ever thought possible. 

The wellness revolution is just beginning, and if you get in on it now, you’ll ride the wave of change for years to come.

The Nurse Coach Collective

How to Become a Nurse Coach

Becoming a Nurse Coach can be a great way to make a real difference in your life and practice, but how do you become one? While the process requires additional study and practice, every nurse who has taken our training has told us that becoming a Nurse Coach was one of the most rewarding and transformative experiences of their life. 

Education

The only prerequisite to becoming a Nurse Coach is that you have an active, unrestricted license as a registered nurse. It doesn’t matter what specialty or area of practice you’re in or how long you’ve been a nurse.

What ties us all together is that we are nurses. No one else in the world is more qualified to help others improve their health and life than you. 

Because when you couple our Nurse Coach Program with your experience as a nurse, you’ll be part of an elite community of healers who are working to elevate the well-being of our planet, one conversation at a time.

Certification

AHNCC currently offers two certification credentials: Nurse Coach Board Certified (NC-BC) and Holistic Nurse Board Certified (HN-BC). To earn these credentials, you’ll want to complete a training course (like the one at The Nurse Coach Collective) to obtain the education and practice to become a world-class, holistic healer. 

At The Nurse Coach Collective, we believe in the benefits of Nurse Coaches, which is why we offer The Transformative Nurse Coach Certification Program

This evidence-based learning journey is designed for nurses who want to do more for their patients and expand their careers. In just seven months, you’ll learn everything you need to know to become a successful Nurse Coach. Through online training modules, live support calls, and an incredible community of like-minded professionals, you’ll earn 120 CNEs and be eligible for Board Certification in either Nurse Coaching, Holistic Nursing, or both! 

Best of all, the Transformative Nurse Coaching Certification Program is offered entirely online. In fact, the majority of our students work full time! So, no matter where you live or how busy your schedule gets, you can take this course and enhance your skill set to provide holistic, lasting, sustainable healing for all of your patients.

You can apply now to start your certification program and begin the journey to become a Nurse Coach today. If you have questions, sign up for a free call to speak directly with a Nurse Coach to get the clarity you need. Oh! And you can also join our Free Community to meet fellow nurses who are as passionate about holistic health as you are.

Nurse Coach Frequently Asked Questions

 

The Nurse Coach Collective
What is the focus of Nurse Coaching?

A Nurse Coach uses their nursing expertise and specialized training in wellness coaching to help their patients make changes that benefit their overall health. The focus is on lifestyle transformation and health promotion to improve overall well-being.

Can Nurse Coaches help with mental health?

Absolutely. Both nurse coaches and therapists work to help our clients lead more healthy, happy lives. However, it’s important to note that most Nurse Coaches don’t diagnose or prescribe. With that said, we work as part of the interdisciplinary team because Nurse Coaching is an incredibly effective adjunct and first-line treatment for many of the most common mild-to-moderate mental health issues facing our society today.

What type of clients do Nurse Coaches manage?

Nurse Coaches work with anyone who wants to adopt a healthy lifestyle to improve their well-being. Whether in private practice or at a clinic or insurance company, the possibilities as a Nurse Coach are endless.

Are Nurse Coaching services covered by insurance?

While we Nurse Coaches can’t bill insurance (yet), many hospitals, organizations, and insurance companies are hiring Nurse Coaches in droves because they’re finally recognizing how impactful this work can be. 

Now, more than ever, there has never been a better time to become a Nurse Coach and to ride the wave of change. Are you ready to transform your career? Schedule your free call to speak directly with a Nurse Coach today.

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