Nurse Coach

PLEASE NOTE:

C-NET logo AHNCC is excited to announce that we have moved to C-NET for our testing management organization. We are pleased to offer new services to applicants at no additional cost.
Handbooks, Practice Tests, and Applications are now available. Flyer
See links below.

Additional services to be offered to our applicants include:

  • practice test fees have been reduced to $65;
  • year-round testing;
  • once approved, a three-month window for testing versus a two-week testing session;
  • immediate notification of examination results.

For questions related to the AHNCC Application or Testing process, contact C-NET at:
info@cnetnurse.com
C-NET
800-463-0786

For other questions, please contact Talysha Hickerson at info@ahncc.org, or call 785-267-0943. We look forward to working with you and helping you however we can.

New information regarding AHNCC examinations is now available. To learn more, click here.

For COVID-19 Update, click here.
For COVID-19 Resources, click here.

Have a nice day. 🙂

Warmly,
Dr. Margaret Erickson, CEO, AHNCC

For issues, contact AHNCC at ahncc@flash.net)

Examination Level Eligibility 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 The Art and Science of Nurse Coaching: The Providers Guide to Coaching Scope and Competencies (Hess, Dossey, Hess, Southard, Luck, Schaub, & Bark) click here. (A new edition is in process.)

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.