The content, integrity, and efficacy of a nurse coaching intervention in type 2 diabetes

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate the content, integrity, and efficacy of a nurse coaching intervention provided after diabetes education that focused on dietary and exercise lifestyle change in persons with type 2 diabetes. METHODS A multimethod design incorporated an interpretive approach to examine the content and integrity of the intervention and a multiple-baseline, single-subject method to determine the preliminary efficacy of the intervention. RESULTS The primary strategies of the nurse coaching intervention consisted of facilitating lifestyle change through educational reinforcement, psychosocial support, and motivational guidance. Aggregate quantitative outcomes revealed a modest increase in health-promoting behaviors and a decrease in fasting blood glucose, indicating a trend toward physiologic adaptation. Participants demonstrated a significant increase in integration reflective of psychosocial adaptation. CONCLUSIONS Providing individualized nursing care after diabetes education may improve health outcomes and the quality of life of persons newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. This multimethod design is a cost-effective approach for preliminary evaluation of complex and/or novel interventions.