Holistic Nursing Achieves ANA Specialty Status

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

Holistic Nursing Achieves ANA Specialty Status

Dec 14, 2006 - Flagstaff, Ariz. - The profession of Holistic Nursing has attained new levels of acceptance, now officially recognized by the American Nurses Association (ANA) as a nursing specialty with a defined scope and standards of practice. Standing behind this great achievement is the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA), the non-profit support organization for nurses and holistic healthcare professionals. To apply for specialty approval, the AHNA submitted a 76-page document to the ANA that clearly describes holistic nursing as a focused area ofnursing practice.

AHNA President, Carla Mariano states that "this is a phenomenal step forward and a very special achievement for holistic nursing. Having holistic nursing recognized as a specialty gives us legitimacy and authority within the mainstream of our profession and credibility in the eyes of the health care world. It also acknowledges our unique contribution to the health and healing of people and society". She applauds the hard work of everyone involved throughout the years.

In order to qualify for specialty status, the ANA required the completion of a proposal explaining why holistic nursing should be granted specialty status, the development of a scope of practice statement indicating the "who, what, when, where and why" of holistic nursing practice, and the articulation of a defined set of standards depicting the details and complexity of holistic nursing practice.

The Holistic Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (2006) define what holistic nursing is, what holistic nurses do, and those responsibilities for which holistic nurses are accountable. These areconsistent with the definition, values, assumptions and standards of nursing as outlined by the Nursing's Social Policy Statement, Second Edition (ANA, 2003) and Nursing: Standards of Practice (ANA, 2005).

NEWS from the AHNA