Nurse Coach

(The new online applications are now available. Candidates who need help with the online application should contact PTC technical support at support@ptcny.com, or 212 356 0660 (technical support option – Monday to Friday 9 AM to 5 PM EST). For other issues, contact AHNCC at ahncc@flash.net)

Examination LevelEligibility Criteria
NC-BC® (Nurse Coach Board Certified)
  • Unrestricted, current U.S. RN license*
  • Active practice as an RN for a minimum of 2 years full-time or 4,000 hours part-time within the past 5 years
  • A minimum of a Baccalaureate (BS, BA, BSN) degree in Nursing from an accredited academic institution (International candidates must have their Baccalaureate Nursing degree evaluated to determine that their program is equivalent to a US Baccalaureate Nursing degree program.)
  • Completion of a minimum of 60 CNEs, accrued over the past 3 years, that include content consistent with the Nurse Coach Core Values and Nurse Coach Competencies.**
  • 60 hours coaching experience that has been mentored and/or supervised by a Certified Nurse Coach Supervisor AND Validation letter from a Certified Nurse Coach.
  • Must agree to the terms contained in the Candidate’s Agreement with AHNCC and complete and sign the Application attesting to agreement.
HWNC-BC® (Health and Wellness Nurse Coach Board Certified)
  • Unrestricted, current U.S. RN license*
  • Active practice as an RN for a minimum of 2 years full-time or 4,000 hours part-time within the past 5 years
  • A minimum of a Baccalaureate (BS, BA, BSN) degree in Nursing from an accredited academic institution (International candidates must have their Baccalaureate Nursing degree evaluated to determine that their program is equivalent to a US Baccalaureate Nursing degree program.)
  • Completion of a minimum of 60 CNEs, accrued over the past 3 years, that include content consistent with the Nurse Coach Core Values and Nurse Coach Competencies.**
  • 60 hours coaching experience that has been mentored and/or supervised by a Certified Nurse Coach Supervisor AND Validation letter from a Certified Nurse Coach.
  • Must agree to the terms contained in the Candidate’s Agreement with AHNCC and complete and sign the Application attesting to agreement.
  • Hold Holistic Nursing certification.

*International candidates who are not planning on working in the United States may submit an RN license from their country. A US license is required if the applicant plans to seek employment in the US.

**A minimum of 10 hours of personal coaching experience is recommended (but is not required) as a way of obtaining learning experiences related to Core Value 5 pertaining to Nurse Coach Self-Development.

Preparation for the Exam

It is the responsibility of the individual to prepare for the exam. The two primary resources are the Core Essentials for the Professional Nurse Coach Role and Professional Nurse Coach Role: Defining Scope of Practice and Competencies (Hess, Dossey, Southard, Luck, Schaub, & Bark). Examination items are developed to test the Core Practice Competencies of Nurse Coaching.

The competencies may be found as an appendix in the Core Essentials for the Professional Nurse Coach Role.
To obtain Professional Nurse Coach Role: Defining Scope of Practice and Competencies (Hess, Dossey, Southard, Luck, Schaub, & Bark) click here.

Expectations and Responsibilities

Only nurse coaches certified by AHNCC may use the designated credentials. Nurse coaches may NOT use the credential when the nurse coach has:

  • Not completed the Certification or Recertification Process consistent with the level of competence;
  • A restricted, inactive, or withdrawn license;
  • Requested inactive status; or
  • Certification has been withdrawn by AHNCC.