Case Study

23.1 Jamie Smith

Jamie Smith is a 60-year-old nurse who will be retiring in six months, after having worked in the same hospital for 30 years. Jamie is widowed with one adult child.

Wellness vision: To be an authentic role model for my patients and grandchild. I want to have a clear vision for retirement so I can make the most out of the rest of my life. I want to discover healthy activities that increase my stamina and enjoyment of life post-retirement.

Priorities

  • Improve life satisfaction (confidence in improving this area 7/10)
  • Emotional wellness (confidence in improving this area 9/10)
  • Nutrition (confidence in improving this area 7/10)

Three-month goals

  • I will drink six 8 oz glasses of water each day
  • I will identify in two new hobbies outside of work
  • I will walk for 30 minutes at lunch, five days each week

Goals set in the previous week

  • I will replace Diet Coke with 8 oz of water at lunch, on Mon and Wed: 100% achieved
  • I will buy new walking shoes on Saturday morning: 100% achieved

Basic health data

  • Height: 165.10 cm
  • Waist measurement: 1.6 m
  • Current weight: 84 kg
  • Weight one year ago: 83 kg
  • Do you currently participate in regular physical exercise? No
  • How many minutes in an average day are you physically active? 60 minutes
  • How often do you eat breakfast? Everyday
  • How often do you eat ‘junk’ snack foods between meals? Once or twice per day
  • How often do you eat foods containing trans fats or partially hydrogenated oil? At least once a day
  • What kinds of breads and grains do you usually eat? Eat mostly refined grain products
  • How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you eat per day? One or less
  • How many 8 oz glasses of water do you drink per day? None
  • How many 8 oz glasses of non-diet or sugary soft drinks do you drink per day? 3–4 glasses
  • How many alcoholic drinks do you usually have per weekday? Seldom or never

Discussion questions

  • How would a typical health care provider approach an initial conversation with this client/patient? What would be the focus of the discussion?
  • What could be the consequences of focusing the health conversation on concerns, red flags and challenges?
  • What is the value of learning more about Jamie’s successes and strengths?
  • What is the relevance of Jamie’s ‘wellness vision’ to the coaching conversation?
  • How might Jamie’s confidence in achieving his/her priorities impact progress? What are confidence-building strategies?