Kelli Watson, RN, BSN, NBC-HWC

Bio:
Kelli, RN, BSN, NBC-HWC, has a life-long passion for helping people heal so that they can build the thriving lives that they envision for themselves. She has 15+ years of experience as a Registered Nurse (RN) working in a wide range of healthcare environments.

As a pediatric intensive care Nurse, Kelli cared for critically ill *yet resilient* patients between the ages of 0-22 years old. As a travel Nurse, she gained insights into both inpatient and community health settings by working in a variety areas: intra- and peri-operative care, neonatal and cardiac step-down units, heart transplant coordination, and student health clinics in an at-risk school district.  

In 2019, Kelli began her training with the Vanderbilt Health Coaching Program (VHCP) and joined the Osher Center family as Health Coaching Program Manager. As of 2020, she is a Nationally Board-certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC). As a health coach & mentor, she pursues her passion for empowering individuals to leverage their strengths to pursue their highest version of a meaningful life.  

Kelli provides administrative support to Dr. Wolever's health coaching research. She also plans to pursue her Master's in either Nursing or Biomedical Informatics in the next year.

Areas of research interest: adolescent behavior/self-concept, mindfulness training and health coaching in school setting, long-term impact of health coaching individuals with depression, epigenetic coaching outcomes.

Personal Statement & Approach:
I became a nurse because I was interested in helping people heal so they can return to living meaningful lives. Integrative health just makes sense. Health coaching or communicating with the patient/client as the expert in their own life, is the missing key in my path towards helping create the more holistic system I dream of. Health is a human right and reconnecting with our intrinsic goodness & power is vital to overcome some of our larger problems in the World (climate change, social inequities, hate & fear). What a time to be alive and doing this work!