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The Nurse as Coach: Building High Performing Teams.

Eileen O'GradyJean JohnsonSusan Hassmiller
Published in: Nursing administration quarterly (2024)
The provision of modern health care in the United States faces significant challenges, as evidenced by multiple national reports of a workforce in distress. In response to these challenges, the practice of coaching emerges as a transformative skill, recommended for individuals in high-stress environments. Coaching in health care focuses on developing nurses and building teams by fostering self-understanding, deploying strengths, improving relational strategies, and gaining moral clarity. It serves as a potent strategy for nurse leaders to navigate the complexities of their systems. This paper explores the practice of coaching as an important mindset and skill. A coaching mindset is characterized by trust, deep listening, curiosity, embracing both/and thinking, discernment over judgment, and fosters an environment where nurses can flourish. It promotes a shift from telling to asking, empowering individuals to contribute innovative ideas and solutions. Additionally, the paper provides guidance for coaching and tools for maintaining a coaching mindset in the face of chronic stress. By fostering a coaching mindset, employing powerful questions, and using tools to sustain emotional integrity, leaders can empower nurses to thrive in complexity, enhance workplace well-being, and contribute to a resilient health care culture.
Keyphrases
  • healthcare
  • primary care
  • mental health
  • public health
  • quality improvement
  • palliative care
  • decision making
  • health promotion