Integrated Life/Career Coaching for Prelicensure Baccalaureate Nursing Students: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study of Performance, Well-Being, and Coaching Relationship Outcomes

Abstract

The transition from student to practice-ready professional nurse is challenging, particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This exploratory mixed-methods study reports outcomes of a novel 6-month integrated life/career coaching program for prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students, designed to strengthen essential skills, support well-being, and ease professional transition. Completers reported improvements in academic performance, work performance, and well-being over time. Group differences across coaching effectiveness dimensions did not remain significant after correction for multiple comparisons, so these results are hypothesis-generating. Integrated coaching models show promise for supporting students with diverse learning and personal needs and enhancing readiness for practice.