Holistic Nursing

Holistic health care is affordable, effective, and desired by many people who are frustrated with the traditional methods of medicine. Alternative medicine is praised for its emphasis on the wellness of the person as a whole, which includes the mental, emotional, and spiritual health of that individual, and not simply the illness causing the problems. This bodes well for anyone seeking a career in this growing and diverse field.

If you believe in the principles and practices of holistic health care, are compassionate, caring, and have a desire to help others live a healthy lifestyle, you may want to consider a career in holistic nursing. The American Holistic Nurses' Association (AHNA) considers Florence Nightingale as the one of the first holistic nurses due to her focus in patient care on unity, wellness, and the interrelationship of human beings and their environment.  

Holistic nursing, as per the AHNA's website, is a specialty practice that draws on nursing knowledge, theories, expertise, and intuition to guide nurses in becoming therapeutic partners with people in their care. It is truly holistic health care at its best, weaving together every aspect of a person's being and the world in which they live with the health care they need. Holistic nurses are therefore viewed as a facilitator, honoring their patient's experiences and values as part of the healing journey. As a result of this interconnected approach, holistic nurses will be trained to integrate a number of complementary and alternative modalities (known as CAM) into clinical practice to further enhance total wellness.   

Holistic Nurses: From Nightingale to Now
If you aspire to care for patients as a holistic nurse, you must obtain your certification in holistic nursing. This certification is available through the American Holistic Nurses Certification Corporation (AHNCC), the only national credentialing corporation for holistic nursing. To be considered for certification, you must have an unrestricted U.S. RN license, a bachelor's degree (in any field - it does not have to be a nursing degree, however, for consideration of the advanced certification examination you must have a master's in nursing), one year of full-time practice in holistic nursing (or 2,000 hours over a five-year span), and 48 contact hours in theory, practice, ethicst or research in the last two years. 

Here's the process: complete an application, take the written component of the exam, and finish the certification exam (available in basic or advanced level). Exams are offered from March through October at 700 different locations; the best way to prepare for these multiple choice exams (based on nine major concepts) is self-study, as prescribed by AHNA.  

The Bureau of Labor Statistics affirms the rapid growth of alternative health careers such as holistic nursing: a total of 580,000 establishments make up the health care industry, nearly 77 percent of which are offices of physicians, dentists, or other health practitioners (holistic nurses fall under this category).

Want to follow Florence Nightingale's lead? Consider obtaining a holistic nursing certification today.