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Health Coaching Certification

What if you could help reverse the leading, preventable, chronic causes of death and disability in the US, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and arthritis? A health coach does exactly that, by inspiring and empowering people to make lasting changes to improve their overall health and quality of life.

The School of Nursing at Southern Adventist University has partnered with the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) to provide a pathway to health coaching certification. 

This course develops an understanding of how to help clients change their health behavior. Students learn motivational interviewing and coaching techniques to help clients make individually-designed lifestyle changes.

Online classwork includes both asynchronous learning and weekly synchronous class and mentor coaching sessions. Students must also complete a minimum of 60 hours of individual health coaching.

This course is an approved training program by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching. Successful completion of this course qualifies students to sit for the national certification exam from NBHWC.

FAQ

Dates
This 16-week course is offered once a year with a minimum of 8 students and a cap of 12 students. Following are dates for upcoming classes:
  • Winter 2024: Meets weekly on Tuesdays from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. EST from January 9, 2024 - April 30, 2024 (no class on March 12).
The winter 2024 course is now full. If you would like to be added to a waitlist in case of cancellation or an interest list for the next course in 2025, please contact Dr. Lilly Tryon at  ltryon@southern.edu.
Course Description
This course, NURS 734 Health Coaching for Healthcare Professionals, is intended to prepare advanced practice nurses and healthcare professionals from a variety of backgrounds with the foundational skills and expertise to coach clients to adopt individually-designed lifestyle changes for optimal health and well-being. The curriculum is taught from a Biblical Christian perspective while incorporating theory and practice in behavior change, coaching psychology, motivational interviewing, and wellness coaching competencies set by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) in the areas of coaching structure, coaching process (coaching relationship, communication, and techniques), coaching legality/ethics, and health and wellness. Also covered are 15 hours of evidence-based, whole-person, lifestyle medicine concepts. Students participate in weekly zoom classes (required), asynchronous online learning activities, and 60 hours of practice coaching. This course is an approved training program by the NBHWC and students who complete the course meet training requirements to apply for the NBHWC Certification Exam and become a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC).

Southern Adventist University is a faith-based university. In addition to a Biblical foundation, this course is guided by three constructs in the Adventist Framework for Nursing Education Practice: connecting, caring, and empowering
Cost
Course fees for academic credit include $925 per credit hour and a lab fee of $210, for a total of $2,985. Upon completion of the course, you'll receive 3 graduate academic credits and a certificate verifying that you have successfully completed an NBHWC approved training program. Nursing continuing education is available at no extra cost.

Required Materials
Convenient Online Learning
The course is organized into two-week modules with assigned reading, quizzes, forum discussions, and a reflection journal. There is a practical component of 60 hours of coaching practice to be logged during the course.

This includes:
  • Meeting weekly (1 hour) with a classmate for peer coaching.
  • Spending another 2 hours a week in client coaching (self-arranged).
  • Attending group mentor coaching sessions (held via Zoom during the regularly scheduled class times).
  • Participating in 3 private mentor coaching sessions scheduled with a course instructor, which will provide feedback on coaching skills.
Summative learning is assessed via a case study (write-up of one of your experiences coaching a client), a final written practical exam, and a final oral practical exam (recorded coaching session).
Synchronous Learning
Synchronous (live) attendance is a requirement for NBHWC certification. Weekly class sessions (via Zoom) will take place on Tuesdays 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. EST and include interactive presentations, coaching demonstrations, group discussions, and coaching practice. These sessions are essential to coaching skill development.
Course Access

Once registered, you will have access to eClass, the learning management system used at Southern Adventist University. Recommended system requirements include the following:

Operating Systems

Recommended

Microsoft

Windows XP SP2, Vista, 7, 8, 10

Mac

Mac OS 10.4.8+ (Intel based) (PPC based NOT supported)

Processor

1.8 GHz or higher

Memory

4 Gigabytes

Network Bandwidth

1+ Mbps internet connection*

Applications

Microsoft Silverlight 2.0+, Macromedia Flash 11+

Supported Browsers**

Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer 9+

Optimum Browser

Google Chrome***
You will also need to be able to join Zoom meetings via your computer with both audio and video capabilities.
Certification
This course is an Approved Health and Wellness Coach Training & Education Program by the NBHWC. At the end of the course, you will receive a certificate verifying that you have successfully completed the course requirements.To qualify for the National Board Certification Exam, you must have:
  • A certificate of completion from an NBHWC approved training program.
  • Completed 50 health and wellness coaching sessions (beyond those logged during the course).
  • An Associate’s degree or higher or 4,000 hours work experience (any field).
For more information: NBHWC certification, visit www.nbhwc.org.
Continuing Education
This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing (ABNP1550), an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation for up to 52.8 contact hours.
Prerequisites
This course is a graduate course in the nursing program at Southern Adventist University. However, it is available for non-degree seeking students for graduate academic credit and continuing education. Please note that although the NBHWC only requires an Associate's degree as a prerequisite, the course offered at SAU requires a minimum of a Bachelor's degree due to nursing program accreditation standards.

Although taught from the perspective of advanced nursing practice, students do not need to be a health professional to take the course. Fifteen hours of health and wellness content are included in the curriculum.
Registration
The process for applying to the course include a couple of steps:

1. Email Dr. Lilly Tryon at ltryon@southern.edu with your interest for taking the course. Please indicate your professional background and highest academic degree in your email.

2. Apply to Southern as a non-degree seeking student (in other words, a student who wants to take a course but not work toward achieving a specific degree) at https://gradadmissions.e.southern.edu/portal/begin After creating an account and/or logging in, click the green button to Start an Application; look for 'Health Coaching' in the 'Field of Interest' dropdown list.

3. Once you receive an admittance email from Graduate Admissions, follow instructions to 1) create your Southern account, 2) sign the financial responsibility agreement, and 3) register for the course.

A reminder email will be sent to you when you are able to register. However, you may begin the Non-Degree Graduate application process at any time.

If you need further assistance with registration, or have questions about the course, please contact Dr. Lilly Tryon at ltryon@southern.edu.

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