Kate Nash, Lead Respiratory Nurse Specialist, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust

I am using health coaching in my clinical practice and have been given eight days per year outside of my existing role to train others. I am working to engage the key leaders in my Trust and am hopeful that this will lead to a wave of more people being trained to use the skills in their practice.

I had become tired of having the same conversations with patients that did not lead to a change in their behaviour and was looking for ways to improve my practice. Following the training I have developed as a practitioner and grown as an individual. I have seen a change in myself and the way that I approach issues. My self-awareness and confidence has increased, I feel as if a light has come on inside of me!

Patients get a different experience when they come to the clinic, they are treated as resourceful, and conversations are engaging and thought provoking, the patients will often comment that they have never been asked such questions before. Some patients have not had to come back to clinic because they know what to do and feel able to self-manage their conditions.

I have embedded the skills within my own practice, have trained my whole team in the skills and lead by example in supporting them to use them in their practice.

This approach has huge potential and can provide a culture change in the NHS. I believe it has the potential to empower patients and to save money in certain situations e.g. medication adherence.

Kate’s tips:



  • Have courage
  • Engage with key leaders and support in your organisation
  • Keep going, don't give up
  • Believe it is possible to have better conversations
  • Keep practicing
  • Just do it!

"Conversation doesn't just reshuffle the
cards. It creates new cards."

How talk can change our lives,
Theodore Zeldin

Join our growing community...

and together we can change the conversation

Join us

©better conversation 2016. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce any material without prior consent.