Fact Sheet: The Voice of Holistic Nursing 
The American Holistic Nurses Association

Who we are

    AHNA...

• Is a non-profit membership association for nurses and other holistic healthcare professionals, serving more than 5,700 members across the U.S.
• Serves as a bridge between conventional medicine and complementary/alternative healing practices: holistic nurses integrate complementary and alternative modalities (CAM) into clinical practice to treat the whole person, helping individuals access their greatest healing potential
• Was founded in 1981 by Charlotte (Charlie) McGuire MA, RNC, HNC, and a group of nurses dedicated to bringing the concepts of holism to every arena of nursing practice

What we do

    AHNA…

• Is the definitive voice for holistic nursing, and promotes the education of nurses, other healthcare professionals, and the public in all aspects of holistic caring and healing
• Efforts have resulted in the recognition of Holistic Nursing as an “official nursing specialty” by the American Nurses Association
• Publishes the Scope and Standards of Holistic Nursing Practice (2007), the Journal of Holistic Nursing and Beginnings magazine
• Offers research grants for holistic nursing research and scholarly inquiry in order to build the knowledge base for holistic healing
• Offers a variety of education opportunities and endorses continuing nursing education programs that align with the mission and purpose of AHNA
• Works cooperatively with the American Holistic Nurses' Certification Corporation, the national credentialing corporation for the specialty of Holistic Nursing
• Hosts an annual national conference with continuing nursing education and networking opportunities
• Organizes and nurtures more than 147 local, area and special interest networking groups across the United States that further the AHNA mission

    Holistic Nursing…

• Is defined as “all nursing that has healing the whole person as its goal,” (AHNA 1998) and integrates complementary and alternative treatments into clinical practice
• Is recognized by the American Nurses Association as an official nursing specialty