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.