How to become a Holistic Nurse Practitioner

A holistic nursing career emphasizes the importance of spirit and emotion to well-being. This philosophy is combined with a skilled nursing practice.

Holistic health recognizes the whole person and combines natural healing with clinical practice to address people's psychological, spiritual, and physiological needs. This type of nursing complements traditional methods to provide a holistic, complementary approach.

What does it mean to be a holistic nurse?

A holistic nurse is a board-certified registered nurse (RN) who incorporates a mind-body-spirit-emotion approach to patient care–akin to the philosophy of holistic medicine schools. These nurses encourage patients to incorporate self-care, self responsibility, spirituality, introspection, and spirituality into their lives in order to maintain a healthy balance between mind, body, spirit.

Holistic nursing care is a holistic approach that focuses on the whole person and not just the symptoms. Holistic nursing care looks at patients from a different perspective and considers their lives to determine how they can improve their overall health and wellbeing, rather than just treating one specific issue.

Holistic nurse practitioners often integrate complementary therapies into patient care. They use eastern and western medical traditions such as aromatherapy. They also use holistic medicine to treat and prevent diseases. The holistic approach is based on the belief that a person's mental and physical well-being can help reduce their chances of falling ill.

The core principles of holistic nursing

These principles are the foundation of holistic nursing according to the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA).

What is a holistic nurse?

Both holistic and registered nurses perform the same tasks. However, holistic nurses have additional responsibilities to help patients with their spiritual, emotional, and physical recovery.

They combine Eastern and Western medical methods in the hopes of improving patient care, and boosting the body’s natural healing process. They also assist patients in choosing the best alternative therapy for them. They can also help patients manage their stress and anxiety.

While they have the same professional skills as RNs, holistic nurses are distinguished by the closer relationship they build with their patients. They listen to patients and understand their needs.

A nurse views a patient's health as a reflection on their lifestyle and how they care for themselves. When they meet with patients, they examine the patient's health and the lifestyle that contributed to it. They then suggest ways to reduce stress and prevent recurrence.

Being a holistic nurse

You must take a few steps to become a holistic nurse. Two crucial steps to becoming a holistic nurse are getting experience in healthcare and adapting to work.

Education is required

To obtain a BSN or ADN as a holistic nurse, like RNs must enroll at a college or university. After receiving a BSN/ADN, nurses can take the National Council Licensure Examination-RN (NCLEX). Before applying for a license or practicing, holistic nurses must pass NCLEXRN.

Employers prefer people with a bachelor's degree. However, it is possible to pursue a Master's of Science (MSN) in Nursing. While a MSN is not required to practice holistic nursing, it's a good idea to pursue specialized training.

Certificates

After obtaining your RN License, you can apply for holistic health certification through the American Holistic Nurses Certification Corporation. These are the prerequisites to certification:

To become certified, candidates must then pass both a quantitative or qualitative evaluation. Every five years, the certificate must be renewed.

You might also be interested in holistic nursing certification programs:

Career outlook and salary for holistic nurses

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses make a median annual salary of $77,000. Here are the salaries of registered nurses by state.

According to their state or organization, holistic nurses might be eligible for benefits such as health and life insurance, daycare and payment for continuing education. They may also be eligible for maternity/paternity leaves.

Despite not specifically addressing holistic nursing job growth, the BLS estimates that registered nurses' employment will grow by 6 percent between 2031 and 2031. This is slightly less than the national job growth rate for all other careers.

There will be an increase in the demand for nurses by 2029. Certification in holistic nursing could make applicants more appealing to employers. According to the BLS, holistic nurses who continue their education and become practitioners can expect a 9 percent increase in job growth.