AMERICAN HOLISTIC NURSES' CERTIFICATION CORPORATION
DEFINITION OF CERTIFICATION
Certification is the process that a non-governmental authority uses to grant recognition to an individual who has met specified qualifications and competencies in a defined area of practice. Based on predetermined standards of professional practice, a registered nurse validates her/his qualifications and specialized clinical knowledge for practice by seeking the credential conferred by such an authority.
Certification is a voluntary process and should not be confused with a legal professional license. The American Holistic Nurses' Certification Corporation (AHNCC) is responsible for the Certification Processes of Holistic Nurses.
PURPOSES OF NATIONAL CERTIFICATION
Establishes minimum knowledge and competency standards for Holistic Nursing practice,
Assures the public that the certified nurse has completed all eligibility requirements to earn a credential verifying he/she has achieved the level of knowledge and competency required for practice of Holistic Nursing, and
•All U.S. licensed registered nurses (RN) from an accredited school are eligible for the HN-BC ;
•All U.S. licensed registered nurses with a Baccalaureate degree in Nursing from an accredited academic institution are eligible for the HNB-BC;
•All U.S. licensed registered nurses with a Graduate Degree in Nursing from an accredited academic institution are eligible for the AHN-BC.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR ALL CANDIDATES
1. Unrestricted and current U.S. RN license from an academically accredited School of Nursing;
2. Active practice as a Holistic Nurse for a minimum of one (1) year full-time or 2,000 hours within the last five (5) years part-time; and
3. Completion of a minimum of 48 contact hours of continuing education in Holistic Nursing within a two (2) year period preceding application.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA BY LEVEL
•A minimum of a Diploma or Associate Degree in Nursing for the HN-BC;
•A Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from an institution regionally accredited by the Association of Schools and Colleges will be required for the HNB-BC.
•A Masterʼs Degree in Nursing from an an institution regionally accredited by the Association of Schools and Colleges will be required for the AHN-BC.
Documents Library
IMPORTANT NOTICE
The
AHNCC Certification Process has been revised, effective immediately.
Effective immediately, the Qualitative Assessment will be known as a Self-Reflective Assessment and will be evaluated as accept or reject, rather than pass or fail.
Candidates who initiated the certification process prior to April 1, 2011 will complete the Self-Reflective Assessment (SRA) before progressing to the Quantitative Examination. Candidates who provide evidence of a Self-Reflective Assessment will be accepted for the final phase of the certification process, i.e the Quantitative Examination. Fees for the SRA will be the same as those set for the Qualitative Assessment in 2004. Fees for the examination will also remain the same until January 1, 2012. Effective January 1, 2012 examination fees will increase for all applicants.
Effective April 1, 2011 the first step in the certification process , the Application, will include a Self-Reflection section, eliminating the need for the previous Qualitative Assessment (also known as the Self-Reflective Assessment for those who applied prior to April 1, 2011.
1. Application Submission
The first phase requires that Holistic
Nurses submit the following documents:
•A completed Application Form, including the Self-Reflection Assessment;
•A transcript documenting academic status from an institution regionally accredited by the Association of Schools and Colleges;
•An official transcript documenting graduation from an accredited school of Nursing;
•Documentation of Continued Education in Holistic Nursing;
•Letter of Agreement with AHNCC; and
•Appropriate fee.
Applications are valid for one (1) year from the date of Application Approval. After that, applications are void and require resubmission.
Application effective April 1, 2011
All
documents must be submitted at the same time to ensure integrity of the
Application. Review of Applications usually take 1-2 weeks.
NOTE:
EFFECTIVE APRIL 1, 2011
THE APPLICATION PROCESS WILL ALSO INCLUDE A GUIDED SELF-REFLECTION SECTION. APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED APRIL 1, 2011 AND AFTER WILL NOT NEED TO COMPLETE THE SELF-REFLECTIVE ASSESSMENT SHOWN BELOW. INSTEAD, UPON APPROVAL, THESE CANDIDATES WILL PROCEED DIRECTLY TO THE QUANTITATIVE EXAMINATION.
Graduates from Endorsed Programs are eligible for waiver of post-graduate practice, and continuing education requirements. Those currently in process are also eligible for waiver of the Self-Reflective Assessment.
Documents Library
2. The Self-Reflective Assessment
The second phase requires that candidates submit the following documents. Only those who were in process prior to April 1, 2011 are required to complete this process.
•Completed Self-Reflective Assessment as described in the SR Packet; and
•SRA Fee.
Note: Please download the SRA Packet by going to the Documents link at the top of each page. Be sure to select the correct packet for your level of certification, e.g. HN-BC, HNB-BC, AHN-BC. Applicants have one (1) year from the date of acceptance of the SRA to sit for the Quantitative Examination.
Examinations are offered in March and October each year. To be eligible, candidates must have completed all pre-examination requirements at least three weeks before the examination date.
3. The Quantitative Examination
Candidates
eligible to progress to the third and last step required for
certification will be notified when they are eligible to sit
for the Quantitative Examination.
Examinations are administered by the Professional Testing Corporation
(PTC) in March and October for a two-week period of time in more than
700 locations. Candidates arrange their appointment with PTC for
location and time. Their requests must be submited to PTC no
later than January 15th for the March examination period and September
1st for the October examination period.
Candidates must
successfully pass the Quantitative Examination to become Certified in
Holistic Nursing. If a candidate fails the Quantitative Examination,
he/she will be eligible to retake the Quantitative Examination no
sooner than three (3) months and no longer than one (1) year from the
date of the first Quantitative Examination.
Examination Handbook
Candidates will
be notified of their score and status by AHNCC approximately 6 weeks
after test administration. Scores and examination results will be
released to others only with written authorization from the candidate. Public members may request certification verification without written authorization of the certificant.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF CERTIFIED NURSES
Nurses certified by AHNCC are responsible for AHNA Code of Ethics and AHNCC's Professional Conduct Statement. In addition:
•Notification of any information that might lead to revocation of Certification;
•Maintenance of Continuing Education Record;
•Notification of any change in name, address, email, or telephone number; and
•Submission of Recertification Application Packet within 60 days prior to Certification Expiration date.
AHNCC Recertification
WHO CAN USE AHNCC CREDENTIALS
Only nurses certified by AHNCC may use the designated credentials. Nurses may NOT use the credential when the nurse has:
•Not completed the Certification or Recertification Process consistent with the level of competence;
AHNCC NOW ACCEPTS PAYPAL PAYMENT FOR ALL SERVICES. YOU DO NOT NEED A PAYPAL ACCOUNT TO USE THIS SERVICE.
YOU WILL NEED A CREDIT CARD OR BANK ACCOUNT.
TO USE PAYPAL,
GO TO OUR HOME PAGE, SCROLL DOWN UNTIL YOU FIND THE PAYPAL BUTTON, CLICK ON IT. OR, GO TO PAYPAL.COM AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS.
Curious about our Examination Development process? Click on the link to the right to find a draft of an article published by JHN that describes how we developed our last examinations.
