Guidance and Coaching in Nursing Care Essay

Guidance and coaching are essential components of work for an advanced practice nurse (APN). Dossey and Hess (2013) state that the purpose of coaching in nursing is “to advocate, identify, and focus on factors that promote health, healthy people, and healthy communities” (p. 10). Thus, a nurse engaged in coaching activities should focus on advocating a healthy lifestyle for the people. According to Hamric, Charlene, Tracy, and O’Grady (2014), guidance is a form of coaching, however, it is more preliminary and less comprehensive. APN and registered nurses (RN) should understand the importance of guidance and coaching to carry out the two in the daily patient care. Guidance and Coaching in Nursing Care Essay

APN has different responsibilities regarding patient care when compared to RN. Thus, the roles in guidance and coaching differ significantly for APN and RN.

The crucial element, in this case, is the approach the nurse takes to the patient. Hamric et al. (2014) state that APR should “raise awareness, contemplate, implement, and sustain a behavior change, manage a health or illness situation, or prepare for transitions, including birth and end of life” (p. 465). The process aims to help patients achieve their goals regarding health. Additionally, an essential aspect for the APN is to ensure that the patient is feeling well both physically and mentally. This should ensure that they make proper decisions regarding their health. APN’s role in coaching and guiding involves advanced communication skills to be able to explain the importance of various choices in one’s healthcare. Guidance and Coaching in Nursing Care Essay

The responsibility of the RN is to educate patients on the health issues and improvement opportunities, which is done in the form of teaching. According to Dossey and Hess (2013), the purpose of teaching for the RN is to promote health utilizing “evidence-based strategies with clients and support behavioral and lifestyle changes to enhance growth, overall health, and well-being” (p. 12). Furthermore, the process can be considered as a form of counseling for a patient, as it involves directing the person and advising him or her.

RN can utilize additional materials (such as hangouts) that are given out while having a conversation with a patient. This communication is typically carried out at the patient’s bedside (Hamric et al., 2014). While APN can utilize the same approach, it should be more extensive. APN can provide patients with a more detailed guide to their health assessment. Coaching competency in RN is typically referred to as patient education (Hamric et al., 2014).