I’ve written about Holistic Nursing before but wanted to provide you a simple step by step guide to follow if you’re interested in becoming a Holistic Nurse. Here’s 5 steps you can start working on now.
Let me just say first, there are many complementary and alternative therapies to choose from in Holistic Health. You may become overwhelmed at first, that’s O.K., there’s tons to chose from, take your time and pick what’s best for you.
Step 1
Start researching holistic nursing by reading articles online. There is plenty of information that you can obtain free when first starting your journey. You can also check out your local library, you’ll be surprised at what you can find here. The American Holistic Nursing Association also has information on their website you can dive into to educate yourself on what holistic nursing is. You don’t need to join the association yet, just gather the information first. Understand the Holistic Nurse philosophy and what it means to you.
Step 2
Now that you’ve read all you can about Holistic Nursing, start narrowing it down as to what you want to do as a Holistic Nurse. Do you want to do Aromatherapy, Yoga or Reiki? Pick a few if you can’t make a decision just yet. You still may be able to find free info online but here is where you may want to invest a small amount of money, buying books or journals about your topic or topics of interest.
My book recommendation is Holistic Nursing – Handbook For Practice. This book is the most comptemporary and updated views for the caring – healing practices in holistic nursing. In this book you’ll find a complete list of all the areas you can practice in, with definitions, best practices, case studies, future projections of these practices and more. I use this book for reference all the time in my writings. A must read for any nurse considering Holistic Nursing, All the information you need to know is in this one book. Later you can buy books specific to the topic you choose.
Also look for continuing education credits to learn more and at the same time, keeping you nursing license current.
Next join social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn or twitter (if you’re not on these sites yet) and search for nurses doing what it is you want to do. Connect with them by reading their blogs, liking their Facebook pages, signing up for their newsletters, asking questions, participating in discussions or emailing them to ask for an informational interview.
Nursing Forums is another great place to gather information or ask questions.
Step 3
Next, pick one or several Holistic Nurse practices that go together or complement each other such as Yoga with meditation and imagery or aromatherapy with massage and healing touch.
Now that you’ve picked one or several, it’s time to start looking at the education you will need to succeed at this new practice. Are you doing Healing Touch or Music Therapy, maybe its herbs or essential oils? What are the education requirements, how much will this cost, can I do this online or do I need to find a school nearby. Some courses in Complimentary and Alternative therapies will cost more than others so shop around.
American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) website for a list of endorsed programs that meet AHNA highest standards for Holistic education.
Step 4
Pick a program that’s right for you and take action, sign up and start learning! You can do this while you are still working.
Next, start thinking, “Do I want to run my own business or work for someone else?”
If working for someone else is what you want to do, start making a list of places you want to work at. Do research on these facilities to see if they are a good fit for you. You should be able to gather most of the information from their websites and also look for them on LinkedIn. Be sure to follow them on LinkedIn or join their group and participate in the conversation.
This is a great way to network. Remember LinkedIn is a professional networking site, you should have a present there anyways and if you’re not there, sign up. LinkedIn will become an valuable tool later.
But if starting your own business is your cup of tea, Great! You will need to take classes on starting a business (I highly recommend it if you have no business experience!) You’ll get the facts on start up. running the business and growing your business into a successful practice.
Consider taking a class or course online or at your local community college rather then buying a book. By taking a class online you’ll be able to ask questions and do actual assignments that help you to understand the process much easier. That’s what helped me. Reading is good but taking a class online or at your local community college will give you hands on experience so you can get started with a solid foundation from the beginning.
You can take your class on how to start a business, at the same time you’re taking your holistic health courses and depending which program you’ve chosen, they may include this in their curriculum. That’s a nice bonus and worth paying more for.
Step 5
Congratulations, you’ve gotten through the course or workshop or program, whatever it is you decided to do, now it’s time to practice what you’ve learned. But don’t think learning stops here, continue to take courses, it will be an ongoing process, evolving and growing, creating an exciting and thrilling life for you as a Holistic Nurse.
You’ll meet amazing people along the way that will help you to get to the next level of success.
And you’ll also meet people who disagree with what you are doing, even other nurses, but don’t let that discourage you. Stay on course and seek out other like minded people who will be your support system, giving you encouragement to move forward in your journey of being a successful Holistic Nurse.
If you need more help, use the contact form to ask a question, would love to help.
Tina 🙂