American Holistic Nurses Association

Holistic nurses are legally licensed nurses who use nursing knowledge, theories, expertise and intuition to recognize and care for the totality of the human being within the scope and standards of their state and the Holistic Nursing specialty. Holistic nurses nurture wholeness, peace and healing by valuing each person's physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and environmental strengths and challenges and honoring each person’s values, health beliefs and health experience. The condition of the whole person is taken into account during the nurse's assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention and evaluation of the results. 

Holistic nurses use holistic principles and modalities in their daily life and in clinical practice to remove the barriers to the healing process and create a space within and around themselves that allow them to be instruments of healing as they share their authenticity, caring presence and nursing skills to facilitate the birth, growth, recovery or end-of-life transition with all people who need their care. Holistic nurses work in all healthcare settings including hospitals, universities and private practices.  

They bring a holistic, complementary and integrative focus to their work, practice what they preach and understand that failure to care for themselves reduces their ability to care for others. Holistic nurses help individuals and groups access their greatest healing potential across mainstream and complementary systems. Many holistic nurses specialize in one or more  complementary, alternative or integrative healing modalities and maintain qualifications to practice these modalities in their state in conjunction with practicing holistic nursing.