‘How do you find Nurse Coaching clients?’ is one of the most common questions I hear from my fellow integrative nurse coaches. Since graduating from the Integrative Nurse Coach® Certificate Program in 2012 (cohort 4), I’ve been blessed to connect with many high equity relationships because of the wonderful opportunities I’ve be afforded from being an Integrative Nurse Coach.
I feel lucky to connect with so many incredible Nurses through our programs. And… since I’ve been around for a while, I’ve been fortunate to have many newer Nurse Coaches reach out to ask for tips and considerations as they plan their Nurse Coach career.
One topic that always comes up is…
How do you get more nurse coaching clients and opportunities?
Um yes! This is a BIG topic for discussion, with many different pathways to travel. To make things simple, this blog will discuss my biggest generator for nurse coaching clients…
Ready for it? Connect with and leverage your high equity relationships.
So now you are asking, what does that even mean? I get it. So, let’s get down to business.
Who (and What) are High Equity Relationships?
I first learned about ‘high equity relationships’ when I took a fitness business course from friend and colleague Rodney Morris from MyFitPod. Rodney is BIG into building communities, and relationships are his (and my) top priority! So, what about High Equity Relationships?
High equity relationships are those people who are not strangers to you.
They are already in your circle, and you’ve already invested in the relationship in some way. You are connected by a shared interest, person, event, time or place.
Your relationship could be new, or it could be distant. They could be as close as your mom or brother, or more detached, like the greeter at your local church.
They know you, you know them, and they are interested in you and what you’re doing, and are willing to support you in some way. And, even if they can’t support you in the way you’d like them to, they will try to support you in a way they can. And that’s what is so important as we venture out into new ways of practicing as a Nurse Coach… to find those who will support you in some small way that will have a grand impact somewhere in your future.
A High Equity Relationship Might Be…
For example, a high equity relationship might be a person you met at a book club you go to each month. You know each other, and you’ve spent time and energy conversing about something you both really like. He notices how detailed and creative you are when discussing each novel.
Or perhaps it’s the owner of the yoga studio you go to a few times a week for class. She sees how dedicated you are to the studio and your practice, so she’d likely be interested in supporting your ideas and vision.
A high equity relationship you might have is a colleague you’ve worked with who was transferred to another unit, and you used to work really well together. Another might be the coordinator at the local food bank you volunteer at. She has lots of links to the community and likely has connections to the people you want to get in front of. There are so many amazing people in your life that you can ask for support as your build your list of potential nurse coaching clients.
And, you have to ask, and tell your story so they will…
- Know how to support you
- Connect with you on a deep level so there is buy in with what you’re doing
A Human’s Story is very Important
As Nurses, a human’s story is very important to you as you gather cues, facts, and perceptions from a client’s life that makes them very unique. Their story is a reflection of their relationship with the world around them. Stories are dynamic, and contain wisdom, history, self-perception, strengths, ambivalences and barriers and Nurse Coaches use the power of a story to connect deeply to their patients, clients and communities. We use Story Theory (Smith, J.L. & Liehr, P., 2010),and Story-Health Model (Reich, J., 2011) to assist our nurse coaching clients in uncovering a deeper way to reflect upon their life and the many meanings of what has transpired for them.
You can also learn more about Story Theory in the incredible Nurse Coaching textbook, called, Nurse Coaching: Integrative Approaches for Health and Wellbeing.
Telling Your Story
So, you can see why telling your story is so important! Imagine when you tell your story, how meaningful it will be to the person listening and how much easier it will be for them to connect to you because you are connecting to them as a human. You will share human experience through stories.
So… first thing I’ll ask you to consider, is to make a list of all your high equity relationships. Put pen to paper, or fingers to the keyboard and write down everyone that you can think of. Go through your email contacts, your phone, your social media. You’ll be surprised to see how long your list will be, and all the people in your circle that can be potential nurse coaching clients.
Then go through your long list and start connecting. YES! DO IT! It’ll be worth it. Let me know how it goes. xo Nurse Coach Nicole
Nicole Vienneau MSN, RN, NC-BC is a recovering burned-out ICU Nurse. Through Integrative Nurse Coaching and holistic modalities, she’s on the daily voyage to well-becoming.
Nicole is founder Restoration Room and Blue Monarch Health, an author, podcast host of the Integrative Nurse Coaches in ACTION!, holds a board certification in Integrative Nurse Coaching and combines 20+ years of Nursing with 30+ years of fitness, health coaching and energy work to partner with mid-life women and healthcare workers who want to THRIVE!
She loves her husband, her two crazy cats and enjoys being in nature and having fun.
