The nurse leader as a coach: Is the tide turning?

Abstract

As the demographics of the nursing workforce change, attitudes to some kinds of workforce development are shifting. This article looks at how leaders of nursing teams can act as coaches, to improve their junior colleagues' practice As a new generation of nurses enter the profession and take their rightful place as registered nurses and as new pre-registration nursing standards have now replaced old, the profession is perhaps uniquely poised to take a step further and embrace coaching as a viable form of academic and professional support, either working alongside or replacing the traditional model of mentorship. With the nursing literature continuing to highlight the importance of coaching, this paper will argue that ‘The Tide is indeed…Turning’ and that coaching with its emphasis on empowerment should be given a ‘strong seat at the table’ of nurse education, with nursing leaders in particular adopting this considered approach to responsible learning.