Nurse Coaching Board Practice Test 2025 – All-in-One Guide to Succeed in Your Certification!

Motivational interviewing is a client-centered counseling technique that emphasizes enhancing a person's motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence. The primary benefit of using this approach in nurse coaching is that it encourages clients to explore their own motivations for change, which fosters a greater sense of ownership and commitment to the process.

When clients actively engage in discussing their desires, abilities, reasons, and needs for making a change, they are more likely to develop an intrinsic motivation that can lead to sustainable behavioral changes. This process empowers clients to identify and articulate their personal values, goals, and the steps they feel ready to take, rather than simply following directives from the nurse coach. Consequently, this empowerment is crucial in promoting autonomy and self-efficacy.

In contrast, taking the lead in discussions would contradict the collaborative spirit of motivational interviewing, focusing solely on past behaviors would limit the scope of exploration, and avoiding discussions about emotions undermines the relational aspect that can significantly impact the change process. Thus, encouraging clients to explore their motivations aligns perfectly with the core principles of motivational interviewing, making it an essential focus in nurse coaching.