Top five benefits of working with a nurse health coach

Explore how integrative nurse coaching can empower you to better understand and effectively manage your health 

In the United States, 60% of adults struggle with a chronic condition and 40% of adults battle two or more chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, or arthritis. 

Many of these patients face obstacles in managing their constant array of symptoms due to a lack of understanding of their condition, difficulty following the advice of their healthcare providers, or confusion about their treatment options.  

Regardless of their unique set of challenges, patients battling a chronic disease can greatly benefit from working with a nurse health coach for support and guidance in making sustainable changes to improve their well-being. 

Join us to learn about the top five benefits of working with an integrative nurse coach for patients with chronic conditions as well as people at risk of developing ones in the future. 

#1: Gain an understanding of your health risks.

When you begin working with a nurse health coach, one of the first steps they’ll take is to assess your health risks to guide the creation of your care plan. 

The nurse will use tools like a Health Risk Assessment (HRA) and biometric screenings to identify risks posed by family history and current lifestyle behaviors. The results of these assessments will provide the nurse with the information needed to determine the best intervention strategies and preventative measures to reduce your health risks. 

#2: Undergo education to better understand your health.

With the wealth of information available online, finding the right information about your health conditions and concerns can be extremely challenging. 

A large part of your nurse coach’s job will be to provide you with educational materials and coaching sessions to help you better understand your health, effectively empowering you to take control of your own well-being. 

“The educational portion of nurse coaching really makes a huge impact on health outcomes for patients,” shares Raegan Garber Le Douaron, President and CEO of WeCare tlc. “For example, a health coach can work with an unregulated diabetic who doesn’t understand their blood sugar to go over a food log together on a weekly basis to help spot trends such as if what they’re eating for dinner causes low blood sugar in the morning.” 

In many programs, your nurse coach will provide you with articles, newsletters, activities, and videos specific to the health category you need to work on to supplement your care between personalized coaching sessions. 

#3: Become empowered with healthy coping skills.

When it comes to chronic conditions such as substance abuse or autoimmune disorders, mental and emotional symptoms are just as brutal as the physical ones, but often get overlooked by physicians that are rushed to treat patients. 

If you work with a trusted nurse health coach, they can address your needs beyond physical ailments and support you as you cope with your condition. 

A registered nurse will understand the mental health conditions you’re at risk for experiencing as a part of your chronic disease, and know the signs and symptoms to watch out for to ensure you’re cared for through that battle. They may also suggest incorporating mental health care into your treatment plan through recommendations of therapists to work with or support groups to join in your area of people facing the same issues as you. 

“People are going through different things physically, emotionally, and financially,” says Raegan. “There’s no shortcut to quality care and nurse coaching really effectively continues to engage patients outside of office visits.”

#4: Lower health-related costs.

With a recent poll finding that 50% of adults put off or skipped some form of health or dental care in the past year because of cost, the expense of healthcare in the U.S. is not just a mere annoyance, but a factor that drives patients away from getting the care they need to stay healthy. [2]

By working with a nurse health coach in a primary care setting, you’ll better maintain your overall health which also reduces your health care costs by eliminating the need for fragmented care and decreasing the need for expensive prescription medications. 

If you’re an employer seeking health care solutions for your workforce, providing your employees access to an onsite clinic with a nurse health coach program can reduce your company-wide healthcare spend. By consistently maintaining the overall health and well-being of your team, the need for costly items like emergency room or urgent care visits will dramatically decrease.

Research on the value of health coaching is still ongoing, but one study was conducted to monitor the effects of health coaching on inpatient, emergency room, outpatient, and prescription drug expenditures. As evidenced by six months of claims data, the researchers found that patients who worked with health coaches for at least four weeks saved an estimated total cost of $412 per person per month. [3]

#5: Improve overall health and well-being.

As you progress through your journey of working with a nurse health coach, you will gradually improve your overall health and well-being.

By gaining a complete understanding of your health and reliable support from an expert medical professional, you’ll become empowered and well-equipped with a care plan that’s uniquely tailored to your individual needs.

Your care plan may include lifestyle changes like a healthier diet, increasing your amount of exercise, quitting smoking, or getting more hours of sleep per night. It could also include certain prescription medications or referrals to specialists to help you with specific systems. Regardless of its specifics, your nurse health coach will walk alongside you every step of the way to encourage and hold you accountable so that you reach your health goals.

If you’re an employer who’s interested in the benefits of your employees working with a nurse health coach, you will likely experience enhanced productivity, happiness, and retention amongst your workforce because it’s true what they say—health is wealth!

To conclude 

If you’re ready to take control of your care and live a healthier life, consider working with a certified nurse health coach to lead you down the right path. Every patient is unique, and your health care plan should reflect your differences to provide you with the care that you need—not the care that everyone else at your primary care physician’s office is receiving. 

By working with a health coach, you’ll be supported with the right information and tools to become the healthiest and happiest possible version of you!

Ready to become healthier with the support of a nurse health coach?

At WeCare tlc, our WeChampion Program provides our patients with the support of an integrative nurse coach to help them stay healthy and improve ongoing health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease.

The program consists of a variety of components including a Health Risk Assessment (HRA), disease and lifestyle management, behavioral modification techniques, goal setting, and so much more. 

All of our Lead RNs who participate in WeChampion are Certified Integrative Nurse Coaches per accreditation by the Integrative Nurse Coach Academy. 

In addition to helping patients, our nurse coaching program also benefits employers through the improved morale of employees, increased employee productivity and retention, and lower health-related costs. 

---

“Everyone, from the time you walk in or call to meeting the nurse or doctor, is friendly and welcoming. They speak to you with respect and truly listen to your concerns.
They are willing to work with you as long as you are working on your health.”
— Patient at a WeCare tlc Health and Wellness Center

---

If you’re an existing WeCare tlc health and wellness center patient, schedule an appointment at your health center to begin working with a nurse coach—WeChampion is available to all members!

Interested in an employer-sponsored health center for your workforce?
Contact us today to learn more.

Sources:

1: CDC | Chronic Diseases in America

2: Kaiser Family Foundation | Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs

3: National Institutes of Health (NIH) | How effective is health coaching in reducing health services expenditures?