ICU Nurse to Health Coach, Christina Putnam Champions Preventive Wellness

When Christina Putnam, BSN, RN, noticed a recurring pattern during her decade of experience in medical-surgical and intensive care nursing, she knew she had to make a change. Time after time, she witnessed patients arriving at the hospital with advanced chronic conditions that could have been better managed—or potentially prevented—years earlier with proper guidance and support.

"One thing that you recognize when you're in that space is people want to change years before they end up in the hospital," Putnam reflects. "If we could prevent some chronic diseases—not all, but prevent and manage—it would reduce lots of hospitalizations and increase and optimize a person's life."

A Personal Connection to Health Transformation

Putnam's passion for health coaching isn't just professional—it's deeply personal. At age 12, she faced her own health crisis, struggling with childhood obesity and carrying 90 pounds of excess weight. Without access to insurance or professional guidance, she embarked on a solo journey of transformation.

"I just remember the moment I woke up and I was like, 'I don't want to be like this anymore,'" she shares. "I didn't have access to insurance or health coaches or anything like that. I kind of did it on my own and lost 90 pounds on my own. But it would have been so nice to have a guide, an ally along the way, to facilitate that because it was a lot of guesswork, a lot of trial and error."

Finding the Right Educational Path

With two degrees—a biology degree from DePaul University and a nursing degree from Loyola University—Putnam approached her health coaching education with the same academic rigor. After extensive research into various programs, she chose the Health Coach Institute’s Pathway program for its evidence-based curriculum and strong credentials.

"I was looking for top programs that incorporated evidence-based practice," she explains. "There can be so much pseudoscience when it comes to coaching. I wanted to be part of an accredited program." What set the Pathway program apart, according to Putnam, were several key factors: "The type of teachers you're learning from, the accreditation, the ability to get your NBCHWC (National Board Certification for Health and Wellness Coaching), the high pass rates to get your board certification—it was kind of a no-brainer for me."

Balancing Education with Life's Demands

Despite having a two-year-old son and a three-month-old daughter while working part-time as an ICU nurse, Putnam found the Pathway program's structure manageable and flexible. "If you truly love something and you love what you do, you will make time for it no matter how busy you are in your life," she shares. "Coaching and wellness—it's something that is so important to me as a person, and I know that change is possible for other people."

Launch and Growth

After completing the program in November 2022, Putnam founded Dynami Health and Wellness Coaching. The name "Dynami," a Greek word often used by her mother, means "to find your inner strength to make the change"—a philosophy that perfectly encapsulates her approach to health coaching.

Today, Putnam serves clients across the nation through both virtual and in-person coaching, helping them prevent and manage chronic diseases while optimizing all areas of their lives. She particularly values the ability to work closely with local clients in the Indiana/Chicago area, offering hands-on services like grocery store visits and pantry resets.

Making a Difference, One Client at a Time

Putnam's impact on her clients goes beyond physical health metrics. She shares a story about a client who hadn't exercised in 20 years due to fear and self-consciousness. Through gentle guidance and small steps—starting with simply sitting in the gym parking lot—the client eventually joined the gym engaging regularly in water aerobics classes and experienced significant weight loss.

But the most meaningful feedback came in the client's words: "You made me feel like a human again. You made me feel alive and that I'm more than just this disease."

"That's the most beautiful thing about coaching," Putnam reflects. "Just giving that glimmer of hope to people and allowing them to see that things are possible and they're more than they ever thought that they were."

Looking Forward

Now a full-time health coach, Putnam continues to expand her practice while maintaining the highest standards of professional care, including using HIPAA-compliant platforms for client interactions. Her mission remains clear: helping people find their "dynami"—their inner strength—and showing them that "no matter what happens to you in your life, you can always access your inner strength to help you get through."

For aspiring health coaches considering the Pathway program, Putnam's advice is clear, “Success in this field requires persistence, continuous learning, and a steadfast belief in the power of transformation. While the health and wellness coaching space may be competitive, the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in people's lives makes it worthwhile.”

Ready to begin your journey as a board-certified health coach? Learn more about the Pathway program and take the first step toward transforming lives, just like Christina.