| Course | INHE 2002 Introduction to Health and Wellness Coaching |
|---|---|
| Week | Week 8 |
| Paper type | Referral scenario |
| Length | About 630 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Walden University |
| Program | BS in Integrative Health |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for INHE 2002 Week 8
Ninety Seconds After "I Blacked Out on the Stairs": A Referral Scenario Setting Down What the Coach Noticed, Said, Referred and Recorded, Without Interpreting the Remark
Student Name
Walden University
INHE 2002: Introduction to Health and Wellness Coaching
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Ninety Seconds After "I Blacked Out on the Stairs": A Referral Scenario Setting Down What the Coach Noticed, Said, Referred and Recorded, Without Interpreting the Remark
The Moment
Partway through the fourth session, Diane, a 61-year-old library assistant in a fictional case, was reviewing her walking goal. She had been walking to work three days a week. Then she said, almost in passing: "The walks are fine. Last Tuesday I blacked out for a second on the library stairs, but I was probably just hungry. Anyway, I did all three walks."
The assignment asks for the next ninety seconds written out. The coach's job in that moment is not to work out why Diane blacked out. It is to recognize that the remark falls outside coaching, pause the session and connect her with someone who can assess it.
What the Coach Noticed
The coach noticed three things: a loss of consciousness, however brief; that it happened during physical activity on stairs; and that Diane offered her own explanation and moved on. The coach did not need to know what any of these meant. A symptom the client describes during a session that may need medical assessment is outside the coach's scope, and the national board's scope of practice says coaches refer clients to licensed professionals when concerns fall outside coaching (National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching [NBHWC], 2023).
The Words Used to Pause
"Diane, can I stop us for a moment? You mentioned blacking out on the stairs last Tuesday. I'm glad you told me. That's something I'd want a doctor to hear about, and soon, before we go further with the walking plan."
When Diane said, "Oh, it was nothing, I just skipped breakfast," the coach did not argue or agree: "You may be right. I'm not the right person to say, and neither are you, honestly. A doctor can. Would you be willing to call your doctor's office today?"
The Referral Made
Diane agreed to call her primary care office that afternoon. The coach asked whether she wanted to make the call before leaving work, and she chose to call from the break room after the session. The coach also said that if anything like it happened again, or she felt chest pain, shortness of breath or another blackout, she should call 911 rather than wait. The walking goal was paused until she had spoken with her doctor. The next session was kept on the calendar so the relationship continued.
The Record Kept Afterward
The session note read: "Client reported a brief loss of consciousness on stairs, Tuesday of last week, during the walking period. Coach paused the session and recommended same-day contact with primary care; client agreed to call this afternoon. Walking goal paused pending medical contact. Advised to call 911 for any recurrence, chest pain or shortness of breath. Follow-up session scheduled."
The note contains what Diane said and what the coach did. It does not contain any guess about the cause, such as low blood sugar or a heart problem, because the coach is not qualified to make one and a written guess could mislead whoever reads the note later.
Why the Restraint Matters
Coaching is effective in part because it stays client-led and focused on behavior (Wolever et al., 2013), but that same focus can make it easy to treat a symptom as an obstacle to a goal. Diane framed the blackout as unimportant compared to her three walks, and a coach focused on the goal could have accepted that framing. Pausing the goal for a medical question protects Diane and keeps the coach inside the role. In primary care, collaborative goals are set within the patient's overall care, not apart from it (Bodenheimer & Handley, 2009), and a coach should follow the same order.
References
Bodenheimer, T., & Handley, M. A. (2009). Goal-setting for behavior change in primary care: An exploration and status report. Patient Education and Counseling, 76(2), 174-180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2009.06.001
National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching. (2023). Health and wellness coach scope of practice. https://nbhwc.org/scope-of-practice/
Wolever, R. Q., Simmons, L. A., Sforzo, G. A., Dill, D., Kaye, M., Bechard, E. M., Southard, M. E., Kennedy, M., Vosloo, J., & Yang, N. (2013). A systematic review of the literature on health and wellness coaching: Defining a key behavioral intervention in healthcare. Global Advances in Health and Medicine, 2(4), 38-57. https://doi.org/10.7453/gahmj.2013.042
INHE 2002 Week 8 instructions, in plain terms
Referral scenario assignments present a moment when a client says something that may need professional attention and ask students to write out the coach's response. Prompts usually ask what the coach should notice, how to pause or redirect the session, how to make the referral and what to record. Many draw on the published scope of practice. Instructors look for responses that act promptly and stay within the coaching role. Papers that interpret the client's symptom, reassure the client that it is probably nothing, or continue with the coaching goal as if nothing was said, usually lose substantial credit, as do session notes that contain guesses about causes.
How the INHE 2002 Week 8 example is put together
The scenario opens with the client's remark in her own words and states the coach's job before narrating it. A section lists the three things the coach noticed, citing the scope's referral expectation. The next section gives the exact words used to pause and the response when the client offers her own explanation. The referral section covers the same-day call, emergency advice for any recurrence, pausing the walking goal and keeping the next session. The full session note is reproduced, followed by an explanation of what it leaves out. A final section explains why restraint is part of good coaching. The client is fictional, and every line of dialogue is written as it would be spoken.
Reading the INHE 2002 Week 8 rubric
Instructors generally reward prompt, role-appropriate action, and pausing the session in the first moments secures the main share. Exact wording earns credit because it shows how the coach stays warm while being firm. Declining to interpret the symptom, including the client's own explanation, is the restraint this assignment grades most closely. A specific referral with timing, plus emergency guidance, shows practical safety awareness. A session note limited to facts and actions is credited for professionalism. Linking the pause to coaching's goal focus shows understanding of why the pause matters, and accurate citations for scope, coaching and goal-setting sources support it. Keeping the next session on the calendar, so the relationship continues after the referral, is a detail instructors notice.
Common INHE 2002 Week 8 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Write the client's remark exactly as they said it. List what you noticed without interpreting it. Write the words you would use to pause the session and practice them aloud. Decide where the referral goes and how soon, and add advice for an emergency. Pause the coaching goal until the question is answered. Write a session note that records only what was said and done. If you are unsure where coaching stops in a scenario like this, we can review a sample response with you. Keep the next session scheduled so the client knows the referral is not the end of coaching.
Get a INHE 2002 Week 8 example written to your instructions
Send the referral scenario and the rubric, and the desk returns a finished INHE 2002 response inside 24-48 hours, free for the first one. The sample writes coach language, referral routing and the follow-up note in full, so the pieces your rubric scores appear as text rather than as description, and it stays clear of any account of the client's health.
More INHE 2002 papers and BS in Integrative Health samples
- INHE 2002 Week 1: Coaching Definition Post
- INHE 2002 Week 2: Scope Memo
- INHE 2002 Week 3: Listening Self-Assessment
- INHE 2002 Week 4: Session Transcript
- INHE 2002 Week 5: Goal-Setting Plan
- INHE 2002 Week 6: Declining the Answer Post
- INHE 2002 Week 7: Client Scenario
- INHE 2002 Week 9: Coaching plan
- INHE 2002 Week 10: Peer critique
- INHE 2002 Week 11: Reflection
- INHE 2001 Week 8: Materials Draft
- INHE 1005 Week 8: Approach Profile
INHE 2002 Week 8 questions, answered
Where can I find a free INHE 2002 Week 8 sample paper?
This page sets out the ninety seconds after a client mentions blacking out on library stairs.
Should the coach guess what caused the blackout?
No. The coach is not qualified to, and a written guess could mislead later readers.
What does the coach say to pause the session?
The coach asks to stop for a moment, thanks the client for mentioning it and says a doctor should hear about it soon.
What happens to the walking goal?
It is paused until the client has spoken with her doctor.
What goes in the session note?
Only what the client reported and what the coach did, with no interpretation.