Monday 25 March 2013

Completing A Holistic Nursing Program Can Help Improve Your Career

Holistic medicine originated over 5,000 years and has been used as primary treatment by various Eastern civilizations. Its principles are based on the idea that the physical, mental and emotional states must be considered when treating the human body. Since the 1980’s, the number of Americans using holistic medicine has steadily increased. As a result, holistic nursing programs have been established nationwide for both introductory and Continuing Education (CNE) certification courses to educate Registered Nurses on this complementary medicine.

Because holistic medicine encompasses many of Traditional Chinese Medicine principles, Registered Nurses who attend an introductory Holistic Nursing Program can expect to learn the basics of Western Bodywork, Physical Arts, Herbalism, Nutrition, and Asian Bodywork with a Western approach to ailments. While curriculum can vary from one school to another, these holistic modalities are often taught because they help promote and maintain the patient’s physical health. Similar to the principles of TCM, holistic medicine focuses on restoring the patient’s physical, mental and emotional health by balancing their qi, or flow of energy.

New York College of Health Professions offers a Continuing Education Holistic Nursing Program, which consists of a 412.5 clock-hour program and a supervised, 50 hour clinical internship over a time span of 4 terms. Open only to Registered Nurses in the State of New York, students learn to integrate holistic nursing theory with Oriental clinical assessment and diagnostic techniques. Some additional required courses are Western Bodywork, T’ai Chi Chuan, Asian Bodywork and execution of holistic nursing theory to clinical practice. Graduates of this program are eligible to take the NCCAOM exam for National Certification in Asian Bodywork. Upon successful completion of the NCCAOM exam, the candidate is granted the title of Diplomate of Asian Bodywork.


Registered Nurses have found the knowledge of holistic medicine to be an asset to their careers and often their personal health. In fact, many registered nurses choose to study holistic medicine because of its positive effects on themselves and their families’ wellbeing. Furthermore, holistic medicine allows for Registered Nurses to further assist their patients, many of which request complementary therapies such as massage therapy or Asian bodywork. These newly attained skills also encourage some Registered Nurses to further their education and careers in other holistic fields including Oriental medicine.

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