ABSTRACT
Nursing staff are the primary caregivers within a psychiatric inpatient setting. They are participators in and providers of corrective growth producing experiences. Nursing's role with the patient is multifaceted, since the intensity and types of interventions vary with the patient's needs. Historically, nursing staff have relied heavily on the use of the therapeutic relationship in their work with patients; however, with diminishing resources, shorter patient stays, and increasing severity of illness, nursing has needed to reconceptualize its role to include more directive and educative approaches. Describing nursing's role in the adolescent inpatient setting as one of “coach” incorporates these instructing, training, and goal-directed functions while still emphasizing the importance of the one-to-one relationship. Additionally, “coach” speaks to the role of nursing in a language that is easily understood and perhaps more easily tolerated by the adolescent patient.
