How to Become an HHP Nurse
A holistic health practitioner nurse applies homeopathic and holistic treatments to the patient's physical ailments. Holistic medicine differs from traditional medicine in that it employs alternative methods of treatment, such as acupuncture and massage therapy. An HHP nurse must choose a course of specialization, and the duration of study is dependent upon the nurse's professional and academic background and the desired specialization.
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Instructions
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Obtain a registered nurse license prior to embarking upon holistic health nurse practitioner study. Decide among the various academic options that are available to become a registered nurse. A diploma or an associate's degree in nursing is the minimum education required to obtain a registered nurse license, though you may find more job opportunities and possibilities for professional advancement with a bachelor's of science in nursing. Register for the National Council for Licensure Examination -- Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) and obtain a satisfactory passing score in order to earn licensure.
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Register for the National Council for Licensure Examination -- Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) and obtain a satisfactory passing score in order to earn licensure. Registration for the exam may be completed by sending in an application to the state board and paying the registration fee. The candidate is allowed six hours to complete the examination.
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Research the various fields of alternative medicine to find what interests you the most. Some fields of alternative medicine that may interest you are: integrative therapy, therapeutic touch, aromatherapy, human energy systems, spirituality in healing, whole health management and holistic stress management. Narrow down your fields of interest in order to find schools offering certification programs in these fields.
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Research the schools offering the certification programs that interest you. The American Holistic Nurses Association offers a list of endorsed programs that lead to certification (see References). The application deadlines, tuition and prerequisites for admission will vary according to the program and school. Check with the school of interest in order to find the exact requirements and dates.
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Enroll in an accredited holistic health practitioner program. Complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of study, though some programs may require additional coursework. Obtain contact hours through direct clinical experience, nursing tutorials, lectures and attending nursing conferences. The requisite number of contact hours will vary according to specialty and ranges from 30 to a maximum of 250 hours. The contact hours requirement for re-certification depends upon the specialty.
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Complete the required contact hours specified by your program by participating in an education program that is accredited by the American Holistic Nurses Association. Research AHNA-endorsed contact hour programs and activities, the AHNA annual conference, Foundation of Holistic Nursing and various holistic nursing journals in order to learn more about earning contact hours. All of these resources offer contact hour earning possibilities ranging from 6.5 to 65 contact hours. Earn new contact hours in order to become re-certified.
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Submit all application and related materials to the American Holistics Nurses Certification Corporation, including proof of valid state registered nurse's license, statement showing one-year of full-time holistic health practice work or 2,000 hours of part-time work (within the past five years), minimum 48 contact hours in continuing education (within the past 2 years) and transcripts showing completion of a nursing degree to the AHNCC.
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Complete the secondary qualitative essay application, if prompted by the AHNCC. Earn a passing score on the quantitative examination (offered in March and October) to garner certification.
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References
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