Ep36: Powerful Holistic Nurse Coaching- Danene Coroneos-Shannon, PhD, MSEd, BSN, BS, MCHES, NPD-BC, NC-BC, IC

Ep36: Powerful Holistic Nurse Coaching- Danene Coroneos-Shannon, PhD, MSEd, BSN, BS, MCHES, NPD-BC, NC-BC, IC Transcript

Nicole Vienneau  00:00

Welcome, everyone, to Integrative Nurse Coaches in ACTION! My name is Nicole Vienneau. I am your host. I’m also a Board-Certified Integrative Nurse Coach. And I have the pleasure of introducing Dr. Danene Coroneos-Shannon, who is from Wheeling, Illinois.

She is the System Nursing Education and Professional Development Specialist. She’s also a Board-Certified Nurse Coach. And we are so thankful she is joining us today. So, welcome Danene.

Danene Coroneos-Shannon  00:35

Hello, I’m so grateful to be here. Thank you.

Nicole Vienneau  00:38

Yes. And we are grateful to have you because we love to hear stories from fellow Nurse Coaches. And of course, we love to dive deep into history and discover a little bit more about your story and how you realized you wanted to become a Nurse.

Danene Coroneos-Shannon  00:55

Well, that story is kind of almost by accident, which makes it kind of a different story. Many, many years ago, not too terribly long ago, I had gone through college already, and had been working with health and health promotion and health prevention and education in general public community health. And had decided that some of the opportunities that I had for work really required a clinical background.

So, while I was in my master’s program, the people that were in my program, getting the public health component of a degree, were the Nurses. And here I was getting the public health and needed the clinical degree. So, it kind of was like this flip-flop of folks that were in my class. So, it got me thinking about probably need to have some sort of clinical background.

And I thought, and I thought, and I thought and I did research, and I tried to figure out, really, what would fit me best, what did I like to do? And one of the things that I really love to do is I love to be with people, I love to help people, I love to just be in the presence of people. I especially like helping people in one way or another.

And in public health, we help people kind of come to health and well being in their lives– healthy lifestyles, healthy eating, you kind of guide them in those kinds of things. But I still didn’t have that clinical background. So, we ended up moving up to Chicago, and having to really seriously think about what I was going to do.

So, I actually had applied to a couple of different types of schools. I applied to physical therapy school, and I applied to Nursing school. And then the more spiritual part of me started to kick in a little more, and I literally placed it in the hands of my higher power and said: I have a purpose in this world, but I am really not sure which way this purpose is supposed to go. And so I need you to guide, I need you to be that guide. Can you please help me?

Because I felt we had been here for two, three months already, and I just felt like there was something that I needed to be doing, and I wasn’t doing it. And I didn’t know what it was. So, I just assumed that that could possibly be it. So, I left it to my higher power. And I asked and I was gracious. And I tried to be very patient. And then all of a sudden, one day, I got the letter that I was accepted into Nursing school.

And I think I might even have had a little jump for joy and a woohoo happy dance. Because it was like: okay, now I know, I know. Now I know what pathway I’m supposed to start in anyway, to start doing what I was put here to do. Because even now I still am finding new things. But at least I had the start at that time of: okay, this is… my pathway is supposed to be with people, caring for people, helping people heal, help them have a better quality of life.

So now, here I am. And so I went through Nursing school, and it was a pretty… it was a very rigorous program. But it was worth every moment of it, worth every moment of meeting the people that I met, every patient that we got to touch and be with and have presence with and hear their stories and to just see them be able to leave the hospital was just a joyous occasion for me. And so life went on, I actually went on to be a labor and delivery Nurse.

And how can it get any better than that? Here you are helping a family bring new life into the world. And you get to be there and stand by them, and hold hands and talk and breathe with them through the most amazing process, I think, in the world. And I have to be honest, and say that, to this day, it still is hard to wrap my head around there being a mommy in the bed, and now there’s a mommy and a baby.

Even though you sit and watch this amazing process happen, it just… it just is that miracle for me. It was just the most amazing thing. And so it just was something that I just loved to do. I loved to be there. I loved my co-workers, they were amazing. And then I went on and worked more in education. And so I worked in Nursing education.

And there was still… even though… I mean, this is several years later now, but even though I got to… I had the joy of bringing new people into our company, our facility, and help them become accustomed to what happens there, do their orientations, help them with lots of other things, there was still kind of something missing.

And throughout all of these years, I had done and always walked in a secondary pathway when I found out about like the foundations of Nursing– some of the foundational principles being the holistic component of Nursing. And I tried to practice as holistically as I possibly could. But I had this deep sense of: yeah, this is my groove thing. This is what really gets me all jazzed up and going.

But at the time, to talk about doing any healing or anything like that, that was usually mission and spiritual care. However, what really became interesting and got me even more excited, was when I actually had conversation with the folks in mission and spiritual care. And they’re like: oh, yeah, that’s really… that Reiki, that’s really interesting, that really connects with us, that resonates with us.

And I’m like: wow, there’s something here, there’s got to be something here. So, in the pathway of just continuing that holistic kind of– it seems like almost a double… I don’t want to call it a double life, but it kinda was because your practice really wasn’t, I want to say it wasn’t quite as accepted way back then.

The general things of being present, holding hands, you know, with your patients when they needed you, having those very deep conversations with your patients always happened, but there seemed to be something more that I felt like I could give. And when I, I want to call it, stumbled onto the more holistic pathway, that’s when things started to change even more for me.

How I looked at my care tended to be more holistic in nature, how I did things in my home tended to be more holistic in nature, how I did things for myself tended to be more holistic in nature. And I kind of learned as I went.

And so that is when I found Reiki, and I found Reiki through, actually, a flyer that was posted about: come learn about Reiki, this is what it is, we work with energies of the body, and we help to free up energy blocks, so on so forth.

So, believe it or not, from that meeting, I still have a lifelong friend that we share Reiki– we call each other… we’re Reiki soul sisters, and the whole group of us that met that night actually went through our entire training from first level to master teacher together. So, we were like our own little cohort.

And that just continued to fuel the fire for me of learning more and more about holistic care, holistic being, holistic environments, just that whole global concept of that. And so, how did I actually get to be into Nurse Coaching? Well, that’s a really interesting story too, because at the moment, we were in the midst of a pandemic, which I’m sure everybody is aware of right now, right?

And I was privileged enough to work at one of the vaccination mega clinics. And at the time, it was very, very busy and very, very good. And I was looking through, I don’t know what I was looking through, I had been scrolling through on my lunch break or something, and saw this ad for INCA Integrative Holistic Coaching, Holistic Nurse Coaching, and I was like: Hmm, okay.

I set it aside, went back to work. And then it came up again. And then it came up like a third time. And I’m like, wait a minute, you know, I’m not one of these believers in coincidence, I believe things happen in your life for a reason, people come into your life for a reason. And I’m like, this is just one too many– three times, four times, five times that this has come up.

This is like something that’s calling me to it. Like, I better pay attention to this. So I did. I got brave. Oh, I was so brave. And I called and the first person that answered the phone, with that lovely, calming voice was Holly Kapusinski. And she talked to me for, oh gosh, I can’t remember how long, it seemed like a long time.

I’m like: oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, I know you have other things to do. I had so many questions. She was asking me all these– well, at the time, I didn’t know they were coaching questions– but she was asking me all these questions. And she’s like: okay, so what’s stopping you? And I’m like: oh, that’s a really good question. What is stopping me? And how can I not do this?

Because she started talking… I think the thing that totally zoned me into this, that totally just drew me in, was that not only is it evidence based– there are theories and philosophies, and there’s literature and research and all of that that supports what coaches do– but I think the thing that really brought me in was that self-care was vitally important.

Not only self-care for the coaches, but helping the clients that we work with have self-care in whatever form it took for them. But that there was self-care. Because from the day I started in Nursing, it was always a foundational principle, but operationalizing that, putting it into action for us as Nurses? Not so much.

A little more, maybe, for our patients, because it was a foundational principle of what we do and how we’re supposed to practice. Yeah, but still not as much as I really wanted it to be, like, up front and center. And so I think that was like that point that just really drew me in the strongest. And so then, in about a week or so, I was signed up.

And Miss Holly was also my cohort leader! And I was so excited because I finally got to meet her, like see her, and it was like off to the races then. I think going through the process of becoming a Nurse Coach really gave me the opportunity to step back and do some reevaluation– reevaluation of physically how I was doing, mentally how I was doing, and spiritually how I was doing.

And then allowing me to have a safe space with my cohort and my groups to share those things or work through things. But even more, that we all went through this process together. And it was like this family that was very, very supportive. And then I think one of the scariest parts was like: oh my gosh, you have 40 hours to work with clients now. Oh, no. What are we gonna do?

And of course, what did Holly tell us? Right? And Lindsey? Just trust the process. You’ve gone this far. Just trust the process. And so you found yourself actually doing that, like: “Okay, I’m so nervous. Okay, wait, wait, wait, I have to do… okay, self-care, okay.” You have to do this before we start, right? And that seemed to provide that energy and that flow of thought and just that calming process to allow yourself to let it flow, and trust in the things that you’ve learned, and that it will come to you.

And this, too, is a learning process, and you will learn more and more as you do it. But it was true– when you trust in the process and release what you don’t need, it becomes the most amazing experience to walk beside, and sometimes a little behind, that other person, that client, and allow them to investigate and discover and awaken to things that they may have never been able to tap into.

To watch them discover their inner wisdom and that inner empowerment that they have, is just… it just gave me goosebumps watching them have this realization that: I just came up with that, like, I actually came up with a strategy to do this or that or, you know, whatever it may be. Like, it’s all you, it was all you. And I think that’s just something that is really… it’s exciting.

It just brings joy to my heart. And to be able to hold that safe space for people, to allow them to be vulnerable, and kind of test to see if they can be vulnerable. And then when they realize that I will hold that safe space, and I hold that as sacred space, that they can… they can step into more and more vulnerability and openness and really exploration for what their needs are for their health and their wellbeing and that it all is driven from them.

It’s just like that miracle thing that happened, like the baby, you know, one than two, and now here you get to explore this natural process that’s happening, and somebody is going to heal from it. Somebody is going to feel better, they’re going to think better, they are going to possibly be more grounded, and calm and have reduction in anxiety.

Maybe it’s that they’re gonna sleep better. Maybe you know, it’s that their environment is going to be more healthy for them. But just watching that unfold in front of you is just… it’s just a phenomenal thing to be able to be a witness to; to be able to share that experience and have the honor to have that experience with them.

Nicole Vienneau  17:51

Your history, and your story is remarkably fascinating. And, you know, you’re coming from this very spiritual side, as well. You know, starting your career in public health, but realizing something was missing– the clinical side– and discovering should it be Nursing? Should it be physical therapy?

And calling on your higher power to say: hey, what should I do? What would be the best choice for me? And then realizing that higher power said Nursing through that acceptance letter, right? I love that story. And I really appreciated your journey into labor and delivery and the miracle of witnessing birth. Like, in the bed was mommy and now there’s two: baby and mommy.

And then, you know, getting to witness that and then moving into Nursing education and looking for what was something that could take my practice a little bit further? Something’s missing. What is that? And discovering your deep connection to spirituality and to holistic Nursing. And following those cues and those connections to the whole being and realizing that was really important to you in how you practiced.

And bringing that into your world. And then discovering Nurse Coaching. Of course, getting three different messages. Nurse Coaching is calling you. And then meeting my dear friend Holly Kapusinski. And for our listeners, just a reminder, Holly’s podcast is number 32. She shares so much wisdom in that episode, so please have a listen to that. It’s called Valuing Stories of Suffering.

Which is, you know, something you’re also speaking about, you know, speaking about the sacred space that a Nurse Coach shares with a fellow human being. And creating that environment in which a person can feel vulnerability and know that it’s okay, because we’re holding them, we are caring for them in the deepest ways that Nurses can, and the fellow humaneness of Nursing.

So, I know that’s just a really short, brief snippet of all that you’ve shared with us, Danene, but I loved your story. And, you know, I’m curious to know the holistic perspective, because you mentioned Reiki, and you mentioned, you know, going through the different levels of Reiki, having a soul sister in Reiki and having a cohort that you really connected with.

And then you also mentioned, you know, with the Nurse Coaching cohort, of how all of the Nurses coming together to learn about Nurse Coaching and connecting with some of them in the process of that, and how all of these relationships in that establishment and connection with fellow Nurses supports you in your journey in your life. So, how is it that relationships are important to you as you journey in to your life?

Danene Coroneos-Shannon  21:23

For me, I discovered that I have to be around people, I have to be. If you want to call me the social butterfly, then so be it. But I am the person… I can be as happy as I’ll get out, if I just even am in a room of people, and just get to people watch. It’s just that energy in that presence of being with other people.

It just so happens that the two choices of life that are my work, I get to do that every day.

And I get to do it in a holistic manner, which makes it even better. And I think that that creates a very unique bond. I think it creates a very unique relationship. And I’m one of those folks that I like to have that kind of relationship with people. I like to be around people, I like to feel their energy, I love to hear their stories. I could sit and listen to someone’s story forever, and I’d be like: oh my gosh, that is just amazing.

Because people are amazing. And you don’t realize their life experiences until you get to be in that situation where you are sharing relationships, sharing information with each other, and of course, in a safe space, but it just is joyful to me to be able to be in the presence of other people. I guess I’m a people person. I know that I cannot work strictly behind a desk and do like numbers all day.

That is something that maybe somebody else is super good at and that is their love, but I learned at an early age that that type of role or job just would not suit me well. I just couldn’t do it. I actually did one time and I lasted like two weeks and that was it. I was done. I couldn’t sit behind a desk, I had to be around people, helping people, and that brings me joy.

I guess that’s a little selfish, but it brings me joy, but I love the ability to have those relationships and those caring relationships and being able to find that safe space and sharing vulnerabilities and really growing together. Because I think when we first came together as a cohort, you know, nobody really knows each other.

We’re starting to kind of see who each other… who everybody is, what’s their background, what kind of things they’ve done in their life. And by the end, we were like our own little community, you know, and you felt like you could tap on anybody’s shoulder and say: I need to chat with somebody, can you coach with me or whatever. And it would happen.

And I think even beyond the coaching, just people’s lived experiences that were shared, just created this bond, just that humanistic, basic bond that is just so vitally important nowadays. And I think sometimes with the things that are going on in life that we really need to hang on to those bonds and then create new ones when we can.

Nicole Vienneau  24:46

Yes, hang on to the bonds and create new ones when we can. Yes, yes. You also mentioned the self-care piece. And I would love your thoughts around self-care and, you know, anything that you would like to share about that.

Danene Coroneos-Shannon  25:06

Sure. I have always felt, as long as I can remember, that self-care was very important. We may not have called it self care, but I still always believe that it was vital for people to be able to step away from whatever it is that they’re experiencing or living, and be able to take something as simple as a couple of deep breaths to kind of reset and center, maybe.

We used to call it centering all the time. And be able to take a new perspective or have a new thought. And when I was a Nurse– I still am a Nurse, right? But when I was practicing at the bedside, I always felt it was really super important for you to step away and have time for yourself. Like, it was the simple things, right? To sit down and have lunch. On a break, you put your feet up.

You know, during those breaks or at lunchtime, that you do walk away from the floor. Now, that is something that is, you know, like the total optimal thing that could possibly happen. Because nowadays, things are so chaotic, can I say? Almost? And frantic, that sometimes I think– and not sometimes– I think it is forgotten many times.

However, I do believe that self-care and the importance of self-care– as in, if you don’t take care of you, you can’t take care of others– has really come to light. And especially since the pandemic, I think this has really let this rise up to the surface to be seen very vibrantly, that if we don’t take care of ourselves, and we’re not given the opportunity to take care of ourselves, or the space to take care of ourselves, that not so positive things may come of it. Right?

We as the Nurse can become physically sick, mentally sick, spiritually unwell. And that affects everything else in life. And how can we, if we are not caring for ourselves, how can we take care of others? There comes a point where, I think, if you don’t do it, your body is going to do it for you. So, I think that self-care is super, super important.

And I think that in doing self-care, and doing reflective practice, I think that allows you to understand, maybe, or be able to be more relatable, or to have resonance with those that you work with, whether you’re working at the bedside, or whether you’re working with a client, or whoever it may be that you’re working with.

That there is a connection about if you’re healthy, and I can see you working and being in that road to self-care also, or you are doing self-care, it makes a difference. I think it’s very, very powerful. And I think it’s pivotal in the way that we work. And I think that that was one of the things that really brought me into wanting to really, really be a Nurse Coach.

Because I wanted to not only have the premise of say, this is what not only am I required to do, but I want to do every single time before I go into a session with another person because I need to be centered. I need to let go of all those things during my day that have no belongings to come with me, all that baggage, you have to let go of it for that moment.

Because you need to be centered and focused around your client or that person that you’re speaking with, whether it be friend or whatever, you have to have the focus on them, you have to be authentic, you have to be listening, you have to be coming with positive intent. And you need to create that safe space for somebody else.

And if you aren’t doing that for yourself, how can you ever think about doing that for somebody else? And so I think it’s really super, super important. I think that it should be a requirement of everybody’s job. And you know, it’s starting to show in different ways throughout the culture of Nursing because now we have things like wellness retreats.

We have Zen rooms in our hospitals. We have days where we get together as groups and just do work, but we spend time together because we’re all remote now. And so we don’t get to go into the office and see each other and have those relationships.

So, they’re trying to really support us in all of those needs, in order to make sure that we are feeling well, and are having a feeling of wellbeing and having that good quality of life that everyone so deserves. But now they’re bringing it into the workplace because they have seen how important it really, really is.

Nicole Vienneau  30:31

And I think of provision five of the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics. The Nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to promote health and safety, preserve wholeness of character and integrity, and maintain competence, and of course, continue personal and professional growth.

So, all of those things, I mean, that’s part of our code of ethics. And I just like the Nurse owes the same duties to self as to others. So, in the Nursing world today, at the bedside, it is fast-paced, it is incredibly busy, there are so many things to do, people to take care of, many tasks to perform, protocol driven, all of those things to accomplish in a day, and more.

And yet, the environment is challenging as far as abilities and time to take care of self. So, given that type of environment, what kinds of things could you recommend or think of that could support a Nurse at the bedside, related to self-care, in your experience?

Danene Coroneos-Shannon  31:56

So, I think when you’re on the floor, we have to have like quick tips, like things that you can take and run with it. So, things like being able to step away and just do a little bit of deep breathing. Nobody ever has to know that you’re doing it, you don’t have to like, be really obvious about it, you can just step away and breathe. Sometimes it’s just moving out of the area that you’re in for just a moment.

And everybody’s vision of what self-care is, and what works for them, is that individualized. So, what works for me may not work for you. And something that works for you may not work for me. But then there may be something that we do share, like maybe we share mindfulness, and we take the time to eat our lunch.

Even if you only have, you know, can you only get that half of a sandwich, that you take time to open it. Feel and hear how that packaging sounds, how it feels in your hands, you know, it’s sensory, you know, like, how does it smell? Is it inviting to you? Do you want to eat it? I’m hoping so because it’s lunchtime.

And you know, then having the visual like, is it looking appealing to you? And then you’re not only going to smell it, but then when you taste it, how does it feel to you? Is it good? Like, having that type of mindfulness, and nobody knows you’re doing it, but it helps to bring a different sense and perspective. And it sometimes breaks the monotony that may be going on around you.

Noticing that there’s a flower growing in the crack of the cement. Taking the time to change your thought of this is bad, this is bad, to I am strong, I am able, I will. And then maybe that’s what you need, is a little mantra to get yourself through whatever it is in that day, because tomorrow is a brand new, beautiful day. And when you step onto that floor, you’re stepping into a brand new day.

What happened yesterday is yesterday, and now is today. So, I think that, you know, some people may… everybody’s just so different. All these things are flooding my mind now, like you know, just taking a walk off of the unit, doing something that you haven’t done before. So, instead of going down to the cafeteria and sitting on the left, you go down to the cafeteria and sit on the right.

You gaze out the window and look at the trees. See if there’s a garden, like a healing garden. A lot of times, places will have heated healing gardens or healing paths. And if you can’t experience it, because you can’t go outside, can you just sit and look and watch and try to bring calmness and ease into the body? Allowing yourself to maybe… it’s kind of like almost a resting state that I’m thinking about.

But giving yourself that permission, because I think there is still the thought that I don’t have the time, I can’t do it, it’s selfish. And I think all three of those myths need to just be busted. And know that your health and your wellness is very, very important. And it’s a practice, just like you practice caring for others. And so you’ve got to try different things, see what works for you.

Some people journal, some people don’t like journaling, some people do breathing exercises, some people walk, some people exercise, there’s just all different kinds of things. You know, walk in the woods, walk on a path, walk with your animals, walk with a friend, you know, there’s just so many different things that you can do as in self-care.

You know, sometimes self-care is changing your diet to something that’s more healthy, making healthier choices. Sometimes it’s, you know, like, how is the air and the light in your house? Does it feel refreshing? Do you open windows to feel that beautiful breeze and become really conscious of that?

So, I think you just have to kind of step back and see what works for me? What do I like? Is there anything that I want to try that maybe I haven’t tried before? Because you’d be really surprised at saying: well, I’ll give it a one shot thing and we’ll see how it goes. And all of a sudden, you’re like: a new discovery! Like: ta-da!

And so now that you can add to that, I like to call it, your bag of tricks for self-care. Because maybe not one way of caring for yourself is going to work for you in different situations. So, you start to collect things that you’d like to do and you feel comfortable with and you have ease with. And that then brings you ease of mind, of spirit, and then of body.

Nicole Vienneau  37:03

Ah, you’ve given us lots to consider. And I appreciated your simplicity of going to the cafeteria, usually sit on the left side, and instead today, you’re going to sit on the right side and see how that feels. I love that. Because it can be as simple as that. It’s the awareness. It’s the choice.

And the… I guess the reflection of that, as you’re doing it, to notice what’s going on inside your body, taking some time to see what’s inside your mind, inside your heart. So, thank you for sharing all of those amazing tips. I hope our listeners took some notes because there were lots of them. It’s so good, so good.

So, Danene, in our last few minutes together, I love to ask the question: when you think of our fellow Nurses, our peers, our colleagues, what is on your heart that you’d like to tell them?

Danene Coroneos-Shannon  38:03

In my heart, I truly believe that there needs to be… well, there needs to be coaches, and really, there needs to be that person that another human being can open up, feel vulnerable, share things to heal themselves. And coaches are the people that do that.

They hold that sacred space, and they allow for that discovery and that ability to allow that person to realize that they are so powerful, and they hold that wisdom and that feeling from within. And I think that that is… just that experience is just one of the most amazing and phenomenal experiences that you can have.

And I never realized, when I started studying this– and I think I will always be a student of learning new things about coaching– but I never thought that it would impact my life as much as it has, in the way that it has. And I think it’s really started me in a process of finding a different perspective in life.

I thought I had a pretty good perspective, and this just really opened up a whole new way of being– being a human, being someone who cares for someone else, being someone who wants to help heal someone else, and know that they can do it themselves, but how do we get there together?

I just find it just a very powerful, powerful process that is so caring and loving at the same time. I think it’s just an amazing thing to experience, and then being able to share that with another person is just even better.

Nicole Vienneau  38:45

Thank you, Danene. Thanks for sharing what’s on your heart. And so, Danene, how can people find you if they’d like to connect with you?

Danene Coroneos-Shannon  40:14

Well, I do have an Instagram account, and it’s LifeBalance_Wellness. And I don’t know, but I’ve been tossing around the idea, since, you know, I have all this health background, that maybe I might, at some point in my life, start a business. Like, my own.

Nicole Vienneau  40:35

Yeah!

Danene Coroneos-Shannon  40:36

And so that may be something that I might be considering. With, you know, the ability to do Reiki and teach yoga and all of that, I think a health and wellness business might be something that could be a potential maybe someday for me.

Nicole Vienneau  40:57

Oh, yes. Let’s put it out there into the universe.

Danene Coroneos-Shannon  41:00

Let’s!

Nicole Vienneau  41:03

Yes, we need more. We need more of this in our lives and in our worlds. And your spirit would be so valuable in all of those ways, as your spirit continues to be a value, of course, in all the ways that you show up in your life. Thank you so much for being a guest on our podcast. It’s been such a lovely, a lovely journey listening to your story and just soaking up all of your wisdom.

Danene Coroneos-Shannon  41:33

Thank you for having me. I’m so so so grateful. I’m so grateful. Thank you.