Contributors:
Rudolf Cymorr Kirby P. Martinez
and Linda Bark

What exactly is nurse coaching?

Nurse coaching (NC) is defined as a skilled, purposeful, results-oriented, structured, relationship-centered, interaction-based role with clients, grounded in the precepts of Holistic Nursing. Nurse Coaches are educated in advanced communication strategies, skills, and knowledge with the understanding that clients are the experts of their own needs. Care is always health-focused and provided within the context of the client’s culture, perceptions, values, and belief system (American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation (AHNCC), n.d.).

Although nurse coaching has been present in the U.S. for some time, it is practically unheard of in the Philippines. I became aware of it just after my certification in advanced holistic nursing and was blessed enough to be given a scholarship by Wisdom of the Whole (WOW) Coaching Academy (under the mentorship of Linda Bark) and a certification exam by AHNCC

Through my formal training with WOW, I came to realize how powerful coaching can be in fully understanding the person’s concern-in-context without the need to dominate the relationship between the nurse and person being nursed.

The basic premise of NC is coaching, not counseling, mentoring, consulting, or any form of psychological therapy. “Coaching is a process of partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” (International Coaching Federation (ICF), n.d.). Although evidence-informed practice is part of NC, diagnosis and prescriptive treatment, like in counseling and psychological therapy, are not. Within the nurse coaching situation, the person is the expert in their concerns, and the nurse is the expert in nurse coaching. Unlike in mentoring and consulting, where the nurse is the subject matter expert and is above the other person, in NC, the nurse is next to the person, allowing the other person to lead.

For example, if I desire consulting or mentoring, I expect that the nurse has more knowledge than me, so is leading me and more ahead of me, so to speak. If my reason for seeing the nurse is for counseling or psychological therapy, I expect the nurse to diagnose and provide treatment options for my concern. These roles have their place, but they are neither organically present in nor define nurse coaching

Nurse Coaching in the Philippines?

Nurse coaching is a new concept for Filipinos, with coaching being understood as related to fitness or financial gains. Although the Philippine setting seems less promising for NC to flourish, I see four developments in our communities that may create space for it:

• Nurses are exploring fields beyond clinical and community health practice. The term “soft nursing” is sometimes used to describe these non-traditional fields.
• Nurses are seeking identity and meaning in their practice. We are beginning to ask ourselves what more we can do for society as nurses.
• “Cosplaying”, a term to denote epistemic trespassing with a nurse role playing another profession and claiming it as nursing, is beginning to be frowned upon by nurses.
• The healthcare system is transitioning to primary health care, with its emphasis on community-based practice and health promotion.

This is where NC can contribute, whether as a stand-alone specialty or as part of nurses’ basic and/or advanced competencies. As a form of “soft nursing,” it can help nurses develop meaningful practice and a clearer nursing identity in community settings.

However, for NC to flourish in the Philippines, it must be culturally responsive to the Filipino context. I do not think we need to develop an entirely new version from scratch, nor should we simply force the contemporary model to fit the Philippine setting. A more meaningful starting point is to identify where the principles of NC meet Filipino cultural values and virtues. This convergence can ground a Filipino approach to nurse coaching that remains faithful to the core of NC while expressing Filipino heritage in ways that Filipinos can recognize and experience as caring.

The Kabaybay

I (Dr. Martinez) see a strong alignment between nurse coaching and the assumptions, propositions, and process of my Nursing-situation-as-caring-moment (NurCaM) theory. Both are grounded in the tenets and pillars of Holistic Nursing (Martinez, 2024).

NurCaM describes the intent of nursing as “Championing the kaginhawahan of our kapwa.” I, much like the majority of Filipinos, understand kaginhawahan as our aspiration for an optimum human condition (Martinez, 2026), and kapwa—the self in the other—as the axis of our caring. Kapwa emphasizes the equality and deep, almost mystical connection among all human persons (Martinez et al, 2026). If, in a nursing situation, I see the other as my kapwa and intentionally accompany them as they make clear the path they have chosen to reach kaginhawahan in response to their concern, am I not describing the heart of nurse coaching?

For me, bringing NC into the Filipino context means more than translating its language. It means refocusing the person’s aspirations towards kaginhawahan—the symphony of health, wellness, and relational harmony—rather than health and wellness alone. It means appreciating the person I nursed as my kapwa, rather than seeing them only as a client whose relationship with me revolves around their needs. Lastly, it means expanding the sometimes default individualistic framework to make room for a more communal perspective, one that appreciates and understands the resources and perspectives of my kapwa’s family and community. This recognizes the more collectivist nature of a person’s concern and lived journey, making NC respond more meaningfully to the realities of Philippine society and become more readily understood and accepted.

With this in mind, I propose the term “kabaybay” for the Filipino nurse coach. The word brings together two Filipino terms: “ka” and “baybay.” “Baybay” can mean (1) spelling out the letters of a word; (2) tracing or following a path; or (3) a shore or coastline that metaphorically symbolizes being in-between order (land) and chaos (sea). “Ka” conveys companionship, partnership, someone with whom you have a shared experience with. A kabaybay then refers to a companion nurse who walks with and, at times, a little behind the other as our kapwa, in a shared communal journey, as our kapwa (1) intentionally enunciates their concerns; (2) traces and follows the path they have chosen to reach kaginhawahan and (3) makes meaning of the liminal space of in-betweens that they have journeyed through.

A kabaybay does not lead the other, but walks with them as kapwa, shoulder to shoulder in solidarity and mutual respect. Kabaybay does not empower others but facilitates a context where their self-empowerment can be fully realized. Kabaybay focuses on the moment, is consciously present, and is a quiet bearer of hope, as they journey with the other as their co-equal, their kapwa.

Wisdom of the Whole Coaching Academy and the Kabaybay

I (Dr. Bark) reach out to the students who receive our international scholarships, and when I connected with Baylan (the nickname of Prof. Martinez), I was both inspired and impressed by what he had accomplished. I wanted to learn more. I realized his thinking aligned well with mine and our academy’s framework of a power-sharing coaching relationship. We began a cross-cultural journey about nursing and coaching that has lasted a couple of years.

He started our first ongoing conversation by asking if he could call me his Kapwa, which he explained as a term referring to a relationship built on respect and equality. How could I say no to that! To me, it underlined my ideas about NC, and I became even more curious about his language and culture and their connection to coaching and nursing.

Talking with Baylan, my kapwa, also brought me back to wonderful past experiences working in a hospital with people from the Philippines. During breaks, they taught me songs and told personal stories from their country. When I see “Kapwa meeting” on my calendar, I smile and feel a warm spot in my heart from both my past experience and my newer connection with Baylan and nurse coaching in the Philippines.

Being a nurse for 64 years and a coach for 35 years has allowed me to watch both professions change, expand, and come together. I am co-author of The Art and Science of Nurse Coaching: The Provider’s Guide to Scope and Competencies, first published in 2012 by ANA that has been the foundation of the Nurse Coaching role and a framework for my coaching model. I am now involved in writing the 3rd edition as nurse coaching is evolving and progressing.

I have witnessed some of the issues that my kapwa refers to in his blog above. He identifies several observations about nursing trends that he sees can facilitate nurse coaching taking hold and growing in his country. He states that nurses are exploring new roles and seeking meaning in their practice. He observes that the healthcare system is focusing on community-based practice and health promotion.

I have hundreds of stories from our graduates stating that nurse coaching reawakened their passion for nursing, shifted them from solving problems to creating space for others to discover their own strengths and solutions, and facilitated their clients’ and their own well-being. I agree with my kapwa and think that these swings can provide momentum for NC emerging and becoming prominent in the Philippines in the future.

There is profound wisdom in his idea of starting the NC role from the strength and language of caring in the Filipino roots. I assume that this would allow immediate recognition and understanding at a very deep level of not only how an NC could be of service but also the very cornerstone of the NC relationship. Using kabaybay identifies and amplifies the nonhierarchical and collaborative aspect of the connection in a powerful way.

I long for a succinct English word that would articulate and convey the mutual relationship in coaching. Unfortunately, the word coaching does the opposite. It usually refers to an expert supervising a learner. The coaching industry has dealt with this challenge by trying to add an additional meaning to the word coaching by describing a person-centered and horizontal relationship. It has worked to some degree, but it has taken years for the shift. My kapwa, Baylan, highlights the profound value and far-reaching impact of grounding the definition of nurse coaching in the concept of kabaybay from the outset.

Central to his vision is his recognition that the kabaybay does not empower another person. I frequently hear people say that an NC empowers their clients, which describes the NC as giving power to their client. I believe an upgraded and more correct perspective is that the NC, as my kapwa says, “facilitates a context where their self-empowerment can be fully realized.” This distinction underscores his nuanced understanding of the NC non-dominating relational bond, which is key to our coaching model.

I look forward to continued observations, insights, and discovery as the kabaybay role unfolds in the healthcare system in the Philippines. I have no doubt that the foundation being laid by my kapwa, Baylan, will lead to its generative future.

Call to Action

Nurse coaching, much like NurCaM, accentuates the professional, human, and mystical nature of nursing situations and yet is practically unheard of in the Philippine setting.

That can change. It is time to advocate for Filipino nurses to become kabaybays, nurse coaches who are responsive to the needs of our communities and committed to nation-building. Let us continue to ensure that Filipino nursing remains Filipino, nursing, and caring.

References

American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation. (n.d.). American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation. https://www.ahncc.org/

International Coaching Federation. (n.d.). About ICF. https://coachingfederation.org/about/

Martinez, R. C. K. P. (2024). Nursing-situation-as-caring-moment (NurCaM): A Filipino value-grounded theory of nursing. Philippine Nurses Association, Inc.; San Beda University, College of Nursing. https://osf.io/download/7yjxn/

Martinez, R. C. K. P., Schoenhofer, S. O., & Boykin, A. (2026, August 5). What Kapwa, the axis of Filipino caring, teaches us about nursing. Nursology. https://nursology.net/2026/08/05/what-kapwa-the-axis-of-filipino-caring-teaches-us-about-nursing/

Martinez, R. C. K. P. (2026, August 7). What we can learn from kaginhawahan: The telos of Filipino caring. Nursology. https://nursology.net/2026/08/07/what-we-can-learn-from-kaginhawahan-the-telos-of-filipino-caring/

About the Contributors

Rudolf Cymorr Kirby P. Martinez, PhD, MA, RN, LMT, CAA, CSTP, CGNC, CTN-A, CNE, WWCC, HWNC-BC, AHN-BC, SGAHN, FFNMRCSI, ANEF

Rudolf Cymorr Kirby P. Martinez is a Filipino nursologist, caring science scholar, and Kabaybay (Filipino Nurse Coach). His professional experience spans pediatric nursing, nursing education, complementary and alternative health-healing practices, and nursing scholarship. He is a Full Professor at the San Beda University College of Nursing and teaches in the graduate nursing programs of Arellano University–Florentino Cayco Memorial School and Holy Angel University. He also serves as Chairperson of the Philippine Nurses Association Department of Nursing Education, and PNA representative to the Commission on Higher Education–Technical Panel for Nursing (2025–2028). He earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Santo Tomas College of Nursing, his Master of Arts in Nursing, major in Clinical Nursing with a focus on Pediatric Nursing, from Trinity University of Asia, and his PhD in Applied Cosmic Anthropology from the Asian Social Institute. His professional development includes certifications in nurse coaching, holistic nursing, transcultural nursing, nurse education, global nurse consulting, somatic therapy, massage therapy, and acupuncture.

Dr. Martinez is a Fellow of the National League for Nursing’s Academy of Nursing Education and the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He is also a scholar of the Global Academy of Holistic Nursing and a regular member of the Department of Science and Technology–National Research Council of the Philippines. He is the author of The Nursing Situation as Caring Moment Theory: A Filipino Value-Based Theory of Nursing and The Filipino Caring Philosophy and Structure: A Life-Nurturing System. His scholarship and advocacy focus on grounding Philippine nursing education and practice in caring science, Filipino values and virtues, and indigenous, traditional, and folkloric health-healing practices. Through his work in nursology and nurse coaching, he seeks to contribute to a nursing practice that is culturally grounded, authentically caring, and responsive to the lived realities of Filipino people.

Linda Bark, PhD, RN, MCC, NC-BC, NBC-HWC

Dr. Bark has pioneered new professional health pathways by starting a nursing private practice in 1970 and by bringing holistic nursing to hospitals in the 80s. During the 90s she led medical tours to China, lived in China to discover how to help Westerners create a context for Eastern healing, and consulted to organizations nationwide to start healing centers. She holds a Diploma in Nursing, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a master’s degree in Life Transition Counseling, and a PhD in Philosophy and Religion.

She combined her education and experience to create the Wisdom of the Whole Coaching Academy, a home for discovery and exploration of a new integral way of coaching that benefits the coach, the client, and the world. She has trained coaches internationally in organizations such as Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, as well as KPMG and Welji in India.

Linda has been involved in many professional areas. Dr. Bark received the American Journal of Nursing first place for professional development for her textbook The Wisdom of the Whole: Coaching for Joy, Health, and Success. She has been very instrumental in helping create national coach certification at AHNCC and NBHWC, and is currently an advisor to the Indian government to design a health coach certification there. Her work is multifaceted, with her Coaching Academy, her private individual clients, and her corporate clients. She hopes all arenas are helping build a new world that has more kindness and justice, increased healing for the planet, more wholeness, and a deeper knowledge that we are all connected.