Executive Summary
Healthcare is at a tipping point. Over half of U.S. healthcare workers report intentions to leave their jobs by 2026. Burnout, stress, and lack of growth opportunities are driving attrition, leaving hospitals and systems understaffed. Traditional retention strategies such as pay increases, wellness programs, and temporary incentives have not reversed the trend.
This white paper proposes coaching as a solution: equipping leaders with coaching skills, embedding coaching cultures into organizations, and offering professional coaching to healthcare staff. Coaching addresses the human side of healthcare work by fostering resilience, adaptability, and engagement, and provides a sustainable answer to workforce shortages.
The Healthcare Workforce Crisis
Burnout rates are high, with surveys showing more than 50% of healthcare professionals experiencing significant stress and disengagement.
Attrition risk is escalating. A September 2025 study revealed that 52% of healthcare workers plan to change jobs within the next year.
System strain grows in cycles. Fewer staff leads to higher workloads which in turn creates more burnout and departures.
Current responses such as pay adjustments and wellness initiatives help but are reactive. They do not address deeper drivers such as lack of purpose, poor communication, and the absence of growth pathways.
The Missing Ingredient: Coaching
Unlike temporary fixes, coaching develops the human infrastructure healthcare systems need.
Resilience building: Coaching teaches staff how to reframe challenges, regulate stress, and recover from setbacks.
Leadership capacity: Coaching equips managers with tools to listen, ask better questions, and empower teams instead of micromanaging.
Engagement and growth: Employees who feel heard, supported, and developed are more likely to stay.
Cultural transformation: Coaching normalizes reflection and dialogue, breaking down hierarchical silos in hospitals.
Coaching in Action: Practical Applications
1:1 coaching for leaders: Executives and managers receive coaching to improve communication and people management skills.
Team coaching for units: nursing, physician or administrative teams benefit from facilitated coaching sessions that surface challenges and align priorities.
Embedding coaching skills: Leaders trained in coaching methods such as active listening, powerful questioning, and reframing use these tools daily in team huddles and evaluations.
Coaching during change: Whether it is implementing new technology or navigating crisis staffing, coaching helps leaders guide teams through uncertainty.
The Settle Consulting Approach
Four Square Coaching Dynamic: A framework that balances quick action with reflection, and task focus with relationship care, preventing burnout while keeping teams supported.
Drama Triangle awareness: Helping leaders avoid slipping into rescuer, persecutor, or victim roles when under pressure.
Growth mindset development: Coaching leaders to model adaptability, which filters down into staff culture.
Implementation Roadmap
| Phase | Timeframe | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: Awareness | 0-6 months | Leadership workshops introducing coaching as a retention strategy. |
| Phase 2: Pilot Coaching | 6-12 months | Provide coaching to select departments such as nursing, GME staff, and administration. Track burnout, turnover, and engagement metrics. |
| Phase 3: Coaching Culture | 12-24 months | Train managers in coaching skills and integrate them into evaluations and leadership development. |
| Phase 4: Institutionalization | 24+ months | Embed coaching as part of organizational strategy tied to quality and retention metrics. |
Measuring Success
Turnover reduction in pilot departments with a target of 10%-15% decrease in year one.
Improved engagement scores on staff surveys.
Burnout reduction measured through validated tools such as the Maslach Burnout Inventory.
Leadership skill development tracked in performance evaluations.
Call for Change
Healthcare leaders face a stark choice: continue relying on short term fixes or invest in solutions that address the human side of healthcare work. Coaching is not a luxury; it is a strategic imperative. By building resilient, engaged, and supported teams, healthcare organizations can break the burnout cycle and create a sustainable workforce.
Settle Consulting stands ready to partner with health systems to design coaching strategies that keep talent thriving, not just surviving.
References
Reuters. (2025, September 15). Over half U.S. healthcare workers plan to switch jobs by next year, survey finds. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/over-half-us-healthcare-workers-plan-switch-jobs-by-next-year-survey-finds-2025-09-15
National Academy of Medicine. (2022). National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Cigna. (2025). Top Health Care Trends of 2025: Whole-person health and workforce wellbeing. Retrieved from https://newsroom.cigna.com/top-health-care-trends-of-2025
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103–111.
NCQA. (2025). Health care trends to watch in 2025. Retrieved from https://www.ncqa.org/blog/health-care-trends-to-watch-in-2025
