Program availability
Your Preferences
Update your Zip code, preferred campus, and preferred program
What is Holistic Care in Nursing?
Holistic nursing considers physical health alongside emotional, spiritual, cultural, and relational needs, using that broader understanding to guide care. Because the goal is to support healing, well-being, and a care experience that reflects each person’s values and health goals, its importance cannot be overstated.
Holistic nursing is reshaping how we think about patient care by looking beyond symptoms and clinical tasks to consider the full human experience. It focuses on caring for the whole person rather than just the illness or injury being treated.
What Does a Holistic Nurse Do?
In many settings, holistic nurses act as a bridge between conventional medical treatments and evidence-based complementary therapies, such as naturopathic or alternative medicine.1 In addition to providing essential clinical care, holistic nurses develop individualized care plans that honor a patient’s values and preferences and build strong therapeutic relationships that help patients feel seen, supported, and feel natural. Their assessment often includes emotional, spiritual, cultural, and energetic aspects of well-being, not just physical symptoms.
Their duties may include:
- Creating healing environments that foster comfort and trust
- Integrating mind-body spirit perspectives into care
- Practicing cultural humility and trauma-responsive approaches
- Teaching self-care, stress management and reduction, nutrition counseling, and lifestyle strategies
- Educating on plant-based diets and incorporating “food as medicine” concepts when appropriate
- Using communication and coaching skills to support reflection and behavior change
- Collaborating with other professionals to ensure inclusive, equitable care
Holistic nurses’ daily work may include integrative strategies such as guided imagery or aromatherapy, and patient advocacy that empowers individuals to participate actively in their healing. Holistic nurses also focus on creating environments that promote comfort and safety. Their goal is to provide a holistic environment that honors culture, trauma history, and lived experience.
Traditional v. Holistic Nursing
Traditional nursing often centers on clinical tasks, such as managing medications, vital signs, procedures, and safety measures. Holistic nursing includes all of these essential duties, but also looks at additional factors, such as:
- How a person is coping emotionally.
- What cultural or spiritual beliefs shape their decisions.
- What stressors or life experiences may influence recovery.
- What kinds of support will help someone feel understood and empowered.
Holistic nursing aims to bring greater connection to healthcare and often involves:
- Whole-person assessments that explore physical, emotional, spiritual, and cultural needs
- Strong therapeutic relationships that build trust and connection
- Healing environments that promote comfort, safety, and calm
- Evidence-informed integrative strategies when appropriate
There are benefits to this form of care. This model of care emphasizes cultural humility, trauma-responsive interventions, and support for self-care and resilience. It also promotes long-term wellness and stability. Rather than replacing standard nursing, holistic nursing enriches it by taking a different approach: It recognizes the patient as a complete human being, and creates an approach that addresses the question “Is my nurse focused on me?”
Core Principles of Holistic Nursing
Holistic nursing is recognized by the American Nurses Association (ANA) as a nursing specialty with its own Scope and Standards of Practice. It integrates mind, body, and spirit into the healing process and attends to emotional, cultural, and relational needs alongside physical health.
The American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) outlines five core values that guide holistic nursing. These include:
- Holistic Philosophy, Theory, and Ethics
- Holistic Nurse Self-Reflection and Self-Care
- Holistic Communication, Therapeutic Environment, and Cultural Diversity
- Holistic Caring Process
- Holistic Education and Research
What Degree Does a Holistic Nurse Need?
Holistic nurses either need a two-year associate degree in nursing or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and they must pass the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses) exam to become a registered nurse (RN).
Your path to holistic nursing depends on your background. If you’re new to nursing, you’ll begin by earning an ADN or BSN and passing the NCLEX-RN, ideally choosing schools or programs that offer integrative health electives.
If you already hold a degree in another field, an accelerated BSN (ABSN) program can help you transition into nursing in as little as 20 to 24 months. You may also be eligible to pursue a master’s degree in nursing right from the start in our MSN Direct Entry program.
RNs can also pursue specialty certification through the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation (AHNCC) to become a board-certified holistic nurse.
Our degree pathway for master’s-prepared RNs
Master’s- or doctoral-prepared nurses seeking to integrate holistic and whole-person care into their practice may consider our Post Master’s Certificate in Holistic Integrative Nursing program. You can advance your professional development, expand upon the expertise you’ve already developed in your field, and incorporate new effective interventions to help your patients achieve greater whole-person health.
Career Paths and Job Outlook
Holistic nurses are finding opportunities in a wide range of settings. Registered nurses may work in hospice and palliative care, hospitals, integrative health clinics, or in wellness coaching roles.
Nurses with advanced degrees, such as an MSN or DNP, can pursue careers as holistic nurse practitioners, educators, consultants, or leaders in integrative health programs.
The outlook for these jobs is strong. The average salary for RNs is $98,430 per year ($47.32 per hour), and RN employment is projected to grow 5% from 2024-2034.* Demand for nurse practitioners (NP) is expected to grow 40% from 2024-2034, reflecting a significant shift toward preventive and integrative care.
Start Your Nursing Path Today
As healthcare continues moving toward more integrative, person-centered models, holistic nursing offers a path that blends clinical skills with genuine human connection. If you’re ready to take the next step into a growing career field, consider the nursing degree pathways at Herzing University.
Learn more about the Herzing University Holistic Integrative Nursing post master's certificate program
Disclosures & References
1. “Evidence-informed complementary and integrative health approaches” better reflects current professional standards than “alternative medicine,” strictly speaking. Holistic care does not replace conventional medicine.
* BLS pay estimates calculate the median annual wage for various occupations. Per the BLS the median wage for an occupation is: "The wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount, and half earned less. Median wage data are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey." Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2024. BLS median wage estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geographic market in which you want to work, and degree level and field, will affect career outcomes, including starting salary and earnings as an experienced employee. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the median salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, particular wage or salary, or other career growth.