Holistic nurses' examinations: past, present, future

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Holistic Health
• Professional Certification

Background:

• The 1990s saw holistic nursing become mainstream, necessitating national certification.
• Certification validates the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for competent holistic nursing practice.
• The American Holistic Nurses Association's Leadership Council (AHNA-LC) initiated certification in 1994.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of national certification processes for holistic nurses.
• To outline the evolution of certification standards for baccalaureate and graduate-prepared holistic nurses.

Main Methods:

• The American Holistic Nurses' Certification Corporation (AHNCC) assumed certification responsibilities in April 1997.
• AHNCC revised the initial certification process for baccalaureate-level holistic nurses.
• AHNCC developed a new certification process for graduate-level holistic nurses.

Main Results:

• Two distinct certification processes were developed and revised by AHNCC.
• Certification is now available for holistic nurses prepared at both baccalaureate and graduate levels.

Conclusions:

• The development of these certification processes reflects the professionalization of holistic nursing.
• AHNCC's oversight ensures standardized validation of holistic nursing competencies.