Aspire to Lead: Developing Clinical Coaching Plans

Abstract

Clinical Coaching plans provide clear, consistent and concise information pertaining to standardized knowledge and specific performance criteria required in the specialty. While the tools are significant assets for orientation, preceptors do not have the expertise or time to create them. Instead, the NPD practitioner establishes coaching plan resources in the same manner that nursing texts were assembled with standardized nursing care plans. The tools provide clear, consistent and concise information pertaining to standardized knowledge, specific performance criteria and reflective learning as engaged in the setting. Use of coaching plans improves communication between preceptors, educators, managers and the newly hired nurse. When collected as electronic documents they can be customized to individual learning needs and their efficacy as clinical development tools has been validated within two quasi-experimental studies. Gap: Within the onboarding process, the NPD practitioner is challenged by gaps in communications, documentation and role fulfillment from one preceptor to another. At the same time, a newly hired nurse may face new roles without written guidelines for required elements of specialty knowledge and skills. Audience engagement activities include: 1) reviewing a sample coaching plan handout for completeness and relevance to practice, 2) explore the components within a clinical coaching plan, and 3) outlining how and why the NPD practitioner would include specific components within the transitional support tools. Outcome: Session participants will develop a customizable clinical teaching plan to support effective precepting and ensure ‘hand-off’ communications from one preceptor to the next.