Board Certification - Nurse Coach Board Certified & Holistic Nurse Board Certified
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Dual Certification Eligibility - Nurse Coach & Holistic Nurse
Successful completion of our online Integrative Nurse Coach™ Certificate Program meets all of the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation's continuing education & coaching requirements to sit for board certification exams in Nurse Coaching & Holistic Nursing.
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Nurse Coach Board Certified NC-BC®
Add influence to your resume by letting your clients and/or potential employer's know you are a nurse coach expert
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Holistic Nurse Board Certified HN-BC®
Highlight your holistic nursing philosophy of care.
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Health & Wellness Nurse Coach Board Certified HWNC-BC®
When you pass both exams above, your credentials merge and you become a board certified Health & Wellness Nurse Coach.
Nurse Coach Board Certification
Eligibility Requirements
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Unrestricted, current RN License
International candidates who are not planning on working in the US may submit an RN license from their country.
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60 contact hours, accrued over the past 3 years
Contact hours must include content consistent with the Nurse Coach Core Values & Competencies.
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60 hours coaching experience
that has been supervised by a Certified Nurse Coach Supervisor who will provide a letter of validation to submit with your certification application
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Active full-time Nursing practice
Minimum number of years required varies based upon highest degree obtained. See below
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A baccalaureate (BS, BA, BSN) degree (or higher) in Nursing
Must also have full-time practice as an RN for minimum of 2 years, or 4,000 hours over 5 years.
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An ADN or Diploma as a Registered Nurse NEW!
Must also have full-time practice as an RN for minimum of 4 years.
Holistic Nurse Board Certification
Eligibility Requirements
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Unrestricted, current RN License
All US and international candidates with an RN license are eligible to sit for the Holistic Nurse Board Certification
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1 year full-time holistic nursing practice within last 5 years*
Or 2,000 hours within the last 5 years
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48 contact hours in Holistic Nursing Theory, Research, or Practice
International candidates must have their Baccalaureate Nursing degree evaluated to determine that their program is equivalent to a US BSN degree program.
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Credentials upon passing exam vary based on education and/or licensure
See below
*Holistic Nursing Practice Requirement
“Holistic nursing is not setting dependent but rather is based on the nurse’s philosophy which guides their practice. If the nurse facilitates health, wellness, and well-being and plans care and interventions that integrate the client’s mind-body-spirit then she/he/they is/are practicing Holistic Nursing.
In summary, holistic nursing is not using healing or integrative therapies such as aromatherapy or energy work BUT how you show up as a nurse when working with people. Many holistic nurses use healing therapies but that is not what defines them as holistic nurses. It is their way of thinking and being not doing that demonstrates holistic nursing practice. Holistic nurses work in all settings and with all populations. If this is how you think about people and nursing and have met the hours required then you meet the practice requirement.”
Board Certification FAQ
Examinations are offered through the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation (AHNCC).
Which INCA program should I take to become eligible for board certification?
After completion of our Integrative Nurse Coach™ Certificate Program (96 contact hours) (Part 1: Integrative Nurse Coach™ Foundations (36 contact hours) and Part 2: Integrative Nurse Coach™ Practicum (60 contact hours)) all nurses who meet licensing, practice and educational requirements will qualify to take the Nurse Coach Certification Exam AND the Holistic Nurse Certification Exam.
What is the difference between Holistic Nurse Board Certification and Nurse Coach Board Certification?
Both Holistic Nursing and Nurse Coaching’s philosophy of practice is to care for the person as a integrated, holistic human being, inseparable and integral with the environment.
Holistic Nursing provides the holistic philosophy of practice whereas, Integrative Nurse Coaching™ provides an operational framework model.
Nurse coaching provides a skilled, purposeful, results-oriented, and structured relationship-based communication method. Nurse Coaching is the functional role for Holistic Nursing.
Both Holistic Nursing and Integrative Nurse Coaching™ is universal in nature and may be practiced with any population in any clinical setting, community, private practice, hospital, educational institution, or research foundation.
I don't have a bachelors in nursing. What are my board certification options?
That’s okay! As of December 1, 2021, you may now sit for Nurse Coach Board Certification if you have a minimum of 4 years full-time nursing practice, and meet the other eligibility requirements.
You can also sit for Holistic Nursing Board Certification.
What is INCA's pass rate for the NC Board Certification?
As of February 10, 2022, INCA is proud to say that our graduates’ exam pass rate is 100%!
Are there extra fees for Board Certification?
The AHNCC charges a fee to take both exams, as well as to recertify every 3 years. See Holistic Nurse Board Certified and Nurse Coach Board Certified for the most current rates.
What is the difference between a Nurse Health Coach and a Wellness Coach?
The priority of all coaches is to facilitate behavioral change that corresponds to a healthy lifestyle and wellbeing.
A main difference between Integrative Nurse Coaches and Wellness Coaches is that nurses bring a different level of education, training, and experience to the relationship. Nurse Coaches are not only capable of working with clients to establish an optimal level of living but facilitate clients to overcome barriers that lead to establishing improved long-term health outcomes. Integrative Nurse Coaches use complementary and reflective modalities in their sessions with clients and establish individualized health plans.
Some examples of the dimensions that Integrative Nurse Coaches work in:
- Life Balance and Satisfaction- lifestyle changes for wellbeing
- Relationships
- Spiritual
- Mental and Emotional – stress management
- Physical – exercise and weight management
- Healthy nutrition choices
- Environmental awareness
- Health Responsibility – managing chronic conditions
- Lifestyle change for habitual habits
What is the History of Nurse Coach Board Certification?
For over three years the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation (AHNCC) followed the development of the health and wellness movement and the increased interest in the nurse coach role as reported in the literature and conceptualized by a cohort of holistic nurse leaders who were practicing in various healthcare arenas, including Barbara Dossey and Susan Luck.
After lengthy discussions, extensive reading, and consideration of the implications for nursing, the topic was added to the AHNCC Board Meeting Agenda in February 2010. The AHNCC Board of Directors concluded that the role of Nurse Coaching, conceptualized within the precepts of holistic nursing, was important to the Profession of Nursing and AHNCC.
That is, the AHNCC Board of Directors determined that Nursing should hold its space to ensure inclusion in the national consortium of healthcare providers who support delivery of care based on a coaching model, and that AHNCC was an appropriate organization to do the necessary follow-up to determine interest on the part of nurses.
AHNCC struck a collaborative relationship with the cohort of pioneering nurse coach leaders (including INCA Co-Founders Barbara Dossey and Susan Luck). The cohort of nurses drafted the first edition of the Art and Science of Nurse Coaching: Scope and Competencies (ANA, 2013) and AHNCC performed a needs assessment, and developed a program for certification.
To begin the extensive examination development process AHNCC drew the competencies from the literature, including the The Art and Science of Nurse Coaching and other relevant literature. Once the competencies were compiled, they were reviewed and revised multiple times. Upon completion there was agreement with the experts that the competencies identified were appropriate for the current practice of nurse coaches. AHNCC then completed a Role Delineation Study.
Participants were asked to identify which competencies they practiced and evaluate how important the competency is to the practice of nurse coaching. Finally, data analyses were performed to determine which competencies were used and which were important for nurse coaching.
These competencies were then used to provide a foundation for the examination which was first offered in January 2013.
Integrative Nurse Coach™ Certificate Program
Start your Nurse Coach and/or Holistic Nurse Board Certification journey with the leading Nurse Coach training program.
100% ONLINE!