What Nurse Managers Need to Know About Hiring and Working With a Professional Coach

Purpose: Nurse managers, middle managers who assume 24-hour fiscal, quality, and human resource responsibilities for at least one nursing unit, are called upon to carry out both leadership and management duties within increasingly complex healthcare organizations across the globe. Because nurse managers significantly impact staff nurse satisfaction and retention and ultimately patient care delivery and outcomes (Roberts-Turner et al., 2014; Saleh et al., 2018), they are vital to the overall success of healthcare organizations. Unfortunately, nurse managers are often inadequately prepared for the role (Moore, Sublett, & Leahy, 2016). In order for this pivotal role to be sustained, attention must be given to nurse managers' professional growth and development. Professional coaching services can be one innovative solution for providing nurse managers the professional development and support that's needed. Professional coaches partner with their clients in a "thought-provoking and creative process" to inspire their clients to "maximize their personal and professional potential" (International Coach Federation, 2017). Although coaching has been used by others in the healthcare field it is only recently gaining momentum for those at middle management levels. One study conducted with clinical leaders in middle management positions found that coaching improved self-confidence, a capacity for reflection, and a willingness to bring the whole self into the work environment, all precursors to delivering a positive impact on the healthcare team and patient care (Cable & Graham, 2017). It is crucial that nurse managers are equipped with knowledge regarding what to look for when hiring a professional coach and an understanding of what to expect from a coaching engagement. Such understanding can help to ensure a good manager-coach "fit" and enhance the likelihood that a successful relationship will be established. The purpose of this presentation is to share selected findings from a study that explored professional coaches' experiences coaching nurse managers. This information can guide nurse managers in hiring a professional coach and in establishing a successful coaching relationship.

Methods: Following IRB approval, a descriptive, qualitative study was conducted in the summer of 2016. Eleven professional coaches from across the US with experience coaching nurse managers agreed to participate in the study. Participants ranged in age from 39 to 75 years. The number of years participants practiced coaching ranged form 1 year to 26 years. Data were collected through semi-structured researcher-participant interviews. Interviews lasted approximately 60 minutes and were audiotape recorded and later transcribed verbatim. Transcriptions were checked for accuracy. A conventional content analysis approach was used to analyze data allowing categories and names for categories to emerge from the data (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005). To gain a sense of the data as a whole, both researchers independently read each transcript. Key words and phrases were highlighted from which main ideas were identified and labeled without interpretation. Researchers worked together to cluster similar ideas and using interpretation moved main ideas to higher levels of abstraction. Categories emerged that represented the clustered group. The researchers also documented the number of participants represented in each category and determined frequency counts. Scholars have suggested that a content analysis can provide qualitative as well as quantitative information (Vaismoradi, Turunen, & Bondas, 2013). A greater frequency may suggest more importance and therefore be cautiously viewed as representing more significance (Vaismoradi, Turunen, & Bondas, 2013). To enhance the rigor of the study, an audit trail was maintained throughout and findings were linked back to the data.

Results: Findings presented will describe what nurse managers should look for when hiring a professional coach, questions that nurse managers should ask before hiring a professional coach, the ground rules that should be established at the initiation of a manager-coach relationship, nurse manager attributes that are most helpful in creating a successful coaching experience, and factors that are crucial to establishing a strong and effective manager-coach relationship.

Conclusion: Healthcare environments across the globe are rapidly transforming. Worldwide nursing leadership must also evolve and keep pace with these changes. In order to address the multiple challenges that come with transformation, nurse leaders, especially those in middle management positions, must be adequately prepared, supported and developed in their role. Professional coaches can provide a valuable service in meeting these needs. To maximize the outcomes of a nurse manager-coach relationship, nurse managers must be savvy regarding hiring a professional coach and preparing for this relationship. Such careful preparation can help to ensure a good “fit” between managers and coaches and enhance the likelihood of establishing a successful and productive relationship, one that can help mangers achieve their full leadership potential as they fulfill a role that significantly impacts patients, staff, healthcare organizations, and potentially international health outcomes.