© 2025. Houston Methodist, Houston, TX. All rights reserved.
In this
issue
WELCOME
NURSING SCIENCE
Holistic Care and the Use of Aromatherapy in Clinical Practice
Utilizing Music Therapy in Nursing Research
EDUCATION
Spiritual Care and Nursing Across the Houston Methodist System
Beyond Medicine: The Impact of Pet Therapy in Healthcare
PRACTICE
Narration of Care: A Bridge to Whole-Person Healing
Sweet Dreams, Sharp Minds: How Holistic Nursing and Sleep Hygiene Are Teaming Up to Tackle Delirium
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MAGNET
FROM OUR TEAMS
ABOUT DISCOVERN
Professional Development
Holistic Nursing as a Profession
By Angelina Brannon, MS, MA, RN, ACCNS-AG, CEN, NPD-BC,
Professional Development Leader,
Houston Methodist The Woodlands
By Angelina Brannon, MS, MA, RN, ACCNS-AG, CEN, NPD-BC,
Professional Development Leader,
Houston Methodist The Woodlands
Holistic nursing focuses on caring for the whole person—mind, body and spirit—and blends conventional nursing with evidence-based integrative therapies (AHNA, 2025). Since 2006, the American Nursing Association (ANA) has formally recognized Holistic nursing as a specialty (AHNA, 2025). Holistic Registered Nurses (RN) can work in various settings and integrate different modalities such as mindfulness and guided imagery (AHNA, n.d.).
The professional governing body for holistic nursing is the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA), founded in 1981 (AHNA, n.d.). AHNA advances holistic nursing through continuing education, research, advocacy and its annual conference (AHNA, n.d.). Nurses can also earn a professional certification in this field through the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation (AHNCC). These certifications are recognized by the American Nurse Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program (ANCC, 2025). Additionally, AHNA provides a peer-reviewed publication titled Journal of Holistic Nursing (JHN) (AHNA, n.d.). One recent article examined the effects of mandala coloring versus free coloring on veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), measuring changes in mindfulness scores and PTSD symptom severity (Nasiri et al., 2025).
Certification
The AHNCC (2025) offers two certification tracks: Nurse Coach and Holistic Nurse. The Nurse Coach track requires a current unrestricted RN license, a degree in nursing from an accredited school, and specific practice and continuing education requirements (AHNCC, 2025). The holistic nursing certification track offers four different levels of certification:
- Holistic Nurse Board Certified (HN-BC)
- Holistic Nurse Baccalaureate Board Certified (HNB-BC)
- Advanced Holistic Nurse Board Certified (AHN-BC)
- Advanced Practice Holistic Nurse Board Certified (APHN-BC).
References:
AHNA. (n.d). What is holistic nursing? American Holistic Nurses Association. Retrieved from https://www.ahna.org
AHNCC. (2025). Holistic nurse certifications. American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation. Retrieved from https://www.ahncc.org
ANCC. (2025). Magnet program recognized certifications. American Nurses Credentialing Center. Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org
Nasiri, M., Sajadi, S., Farsi, Z. & Heidarieh, M. (2025). The Effects of Mandala Coloring and Free Coloring on Mindfulness and the Score of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans. Holistic Nursing
