Becoming a Holistic health coach and leaving my nursing career

I often get questions from nurses that are interested in the path I took to become a health coach and leave my nursing career. Usually, the DM sounds a little like this “Hey Carly, I wanted to reach out because I’m a nurse and just don’t feel aligned in the profession anymore. I love the idea of becoming a health coach and was wondering about the path you took to becoming one.” Usually, there are a few other questions sprinkled throughout the message regarding my business and if I miss being a nurse, too! 

I love these messages and I love connecting with other like-minded nurses. We are the ones leading this health revolution! The one where we become empowered with our health, educate about holistic tools, and inspire others to achieve their health goals. I also love sharing my story because as a manifesting generator in human design, I am meant to create my path and show others what is possible.

Working as a nurse

I love being a nurse and I love that there are so many different paths of opportunity available to you as a nurse. It wasn’t the nursing aspect of the career I didn’t want to be a part of, it was the awful healthcare system that pushed me out the door. I couldn’t stand seeing these chronically sick patients coming through the revolving disease management doors. I was working as a GI travel nurse and fell in love with the specialty. I enjoyed assisting in procedures and seeing a mix of outpatient and inpatient cases, while also having a variety of autonomy and working alongside a team. The problem is, every day I was faced with conflict when I would see the lack of education surrounding nutrition and lifestyle modifications especially when we are talking about the gastrointestinal system! Of course, you try to educate as much as possible but the overall healthcare system doesn’t prioritize nutrition or healthy habits, so you sometimes feel like the system you’re working for is against you. Anyway, I decided after a travel contract in California that I would take a break to pursue my health coaching business full time.

Becoming a health coach 

To become a health coach I was certified by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. It was truly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life. That may sound dramatic but I honestly believe that with every fiber in my being. Without IIN I wouldn’t be where I am today and the school is overall aligned with my values. I’ve linked a sample class and a curriculum guide for you to explore IIN deeper.

I initially enrolled in IIN to learn more about nutrition and improve my health. I was already taking steps toward leading a more holistic lifestyle but I wanted a proper education surrounding this and found IIN. It wasn’t until I started the program that I believed I could use the coaching certification to start my own business and help others in a way that felt good to me! I learned a lot within that year, and my lifestyle and overall health improved immensely. 

Starting a business 

One thing I love about IIN is that part of their curriculum is guided toward helping you start your own business and providing you with resources along the way. By following all the recommendations they provided when it came to starting my own business, I felt fully confident in each step. Now that I’ve been running my business for almost a year there is a lot of change I’ve already made by simply learning more about what works for me and what doesn’t. Don’t get me wrong, there were a lot of self-criticisms, highs, and lows to the entire process but that is the beauty of it all. Any business you’re starting is going to have its challenges, it takes a lot of personal development and willingness to consistently show up for yourself. 

Do I miss working as a nurse?  

I get this question regularly and sometimes I’m not sure how to answer it. Since starting my holistic health coaching business I haven’t looked back and the thought of clocking in and working in the hospital kinda makes me cringe. I do miss some aspects of working as a nurse and often remind myself that it’s good to have these feelings. I miss doing the technical skills like the wires in an ERCP or prepping a patient for their procedure or prepping the OR room or talking with the doctors. Like I miss completing the tasks and the repetition sometimes but overall I feel so fulfilled working as a health coach. After some of my client sessions, I literally have to pinch myself and remind myself that this is my job!! I don't miss long days in a room without windows or the 30-minute lunch or having to be on call. I also don't miss the standard hospital drama, patient complaints, or packing my lunch.

What will my future look like?

So one year as a holistic health coach and I have so many different ideas, goals, and plans for my future. I am taking it day by day and allowing myself to make mistakes, learn, and continue to grow in the highest version of myself. I am trying to be patient but I am taking action steps toward a few of my goals and that looks like prepping to sit for my national health coaching board certification. You don’t have to have your board certification when you become a health coach but there is the option and I wanted to take it! This will provide me with more opportunities in the future and it feels like the right step for me right now. I am taking a course to qualify for applying to sit for the NBHWC board certification through IIN which is their coaching intensive practicum course! This will also deepen my coaching skills and encourage growth personally at the same time. I won’t be able to sit for the exam until at least next July 2023 so until then I’m still going to take 1:1 clients, offer my healthy pantry makeover, hold webinars, and show up here in this little blog space of the internet.