AHNCC ANNOUNCES A CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR NURSE COACHES FALL 2012.

©AHNCC, Not to be reprinted without permission

AHNCC’S NURSE COACH CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

AHNCC ANNOUNCES A

CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR NURSE COACHES

FALL 2012.

Nurses from all specialties and areas of practice will be eligible to take the Nurse Coach Certification Examination and earn the NC-BC credential. AHNCC Certified Holistic Nurses who

successfully pass the Nurse Coach Certification Examination qualify for the Health and Wellness Nurse Coach credential, HWNC-BCi.


 AHNCC
POSITION
STATEMENT
 
 
 Holistic
Nursing
 
 Holistic
Nurses
organized
in
1982
around
key
concepts
relevant
to
the
current
international
 healthcare
reform
that
were
recently
legalized
in
the
United
States
by
the
Affordable
Care
Act
 (HR3590,
Section
4001,
March
23,
2010).
Our
Scope
of
Practice
and
Standards
(AHNA,
2007)
 identifies
and
defines
these
concepts
as:
 
 •The
person
as
an
entity

(or
being)
with“…
unity,
totality,
and
connectedness
of
everyone
and
 everything.”
(p.
6)
 
 •
Health
is
defined
as
a
“…balance,
integration,
harmony,
right
relationship,
and
the
 betterment
of
well­being…”
(p.
6)
and,
“An
individually
defined
state
or
process
in
which
the
 individual
(nurse,
client,
group,
or
community)
experiences
a
sense
of
well­being,
harmony,
 and
unity
such
that
subjective
experiences
about
health,
health
beliefs,
and
values
are
honored;
 a
process
of
becoming
and
expanding
consciousness.”
(p.
68)

 
 •Holistic
Nursing
Practice
is
“…a
science…and
an
art…”
(p.
7)
Holistic
Nurses
use

“…critical
 thinking,
reflection,
evidence,
research,
theory…intuition,
creativity,
presence,
and
self‐ knowing…”
(p.7)
to
guide
their
practice.
They
also
use“…warmth,
compassion,
caring
 authenticity,
respect,
trust,
and
relationship
as
instruments
of
healing….”
(p.7)
 
 •“Holistic
Nurses
have
a
particular
obligation
to
create
a
therapeutic
environment
that
 values
holism,
caring,
social
support,
and
integration
of
conventional
and
CAM
approaches
to
 healing…A
particular
perspective
of
holistic
nursing
is
the
nurse
as
the
‘healing
environment’
 and
an
instrument
of
healing”
(p.
15),
core
requirements
for
facilitating
an
individual’s
 unfolding,
and
discovery
of
“…self
in
healing.”
(p.
15)
The
environment
is
“…both
the
 external
physical
space
and
the
person’s
internal
physical,
mental,
emotional,
social,
and
 spiritual
experience.”
(p.
67)
 
 
Underlying
the
Holistic
Nurse’s
practice
are
“…values
and
ethics
of
holism,
caring,
moral
 insight,
dignity,
integrity,
competence,
responsibility,
accountability,
and
legality….”
(p.7)


©AHNCC, Not to be reprinted without permission The
Holistic
Nurse’s
role
as
a
facilitator
of
health
and
healing
is
further
described
with
this
 statement:

“People
as
active
partners
in
the
healing
process
are
empowered
when
they
take
 some
control
of
their
own
lives,
health,
and
well­being,
including
personal
choices
and
 relationships”
(p.
6)
 
 This
document
indicates
that
healing
is
“...
natural
and
a
part
of
life,
learning,
and
movement
toward
 change
and
development.”
(p.
6)
It
states
that
healing
“…involves
those
physical,
mental,
social,
and
 spiritual
processes
of
recovery,
repair,
renewal,
and
transformation
that
increase
wholeness
and
 often…order
and
coherence.
…Healing
can
lead
to
more
complex
levels
of
personal
understanding
and
 meaning,
and
may
be
synchronous
but
not
synonymous
with
curing.”
(68­69).

Wellness
is
defined
as
 an
“Integrated,
congruent
functioning
aimed
toward
reaching
one’s
highest
potential.”
(p.
71)
 
 Nursing
as
a
Profession
 
 These
concepts
are
not
new
to
nursing;
they
have
existed
since
Florence
Nightingale’s
time.
Yet,
 nursing
at
large
has
struggled
with
the
tension
between
two
models
of
practice
that
consist
of
a
 foreground
and
a
background
(Parse,
R.,
1987;
Erickson,
H.,
2010).
In
the
first
model,
the
primary
 focus
of
caring
is
on
the
individual’s
disease
and/or
condition,
the
human
aspects
of
the
individual
 are
secondary;
they
are
often
viewed
as
related,
but
not
essential
in
understanding
what
is
needed
 to
provide
person‐centered
care.
On
the
other
hand,
the
holistic
model
places
the
human
aspects
of
 the
individual
in
the
foreground,
they
are
considered
as
primary
to
the
caring
process.
The
 individual’s
perceptions
of
how
their
disease
or
conditions
affect
their
health
and
well‐being
are
 essential
in
understanding
the
individual’s
life
experiences.
All
nurses
understand
that
their
 practice
is
based
on
a
caring
process,
and
is
person‐centered,
but
the
two
models
emphasize
 different
practice
activities.


 
 
 The
practice
activities
of
the
first
group
tend
to
focus
on
assessing,
understanding,
and
care
focused
 on
parts
of
the
person.
Outcomes
are
often
measured
in
respect
to
alleviation
or
management
of
 symptoms
related
to
the
disease
or
condition.
Strategies
used
to
effect
health
rarely
include
the
 nurse
as
an
instrument
of
healing.
Health
is
defined
accordingly;
a
person
who
has
their
disease
or
 condition
managed,
controlled,
or
cured
is
considered
a
healthy
person
(Smith,
1981).
 
 
 On
the
other
hand,
practice
activities
of
the
Holistic
Nurse
focus
on
the
relationship
between
nurse
 and
client;
there
is
an
emphasis
on
understanding
of
the
person’s
perceptions
of
health
and
 wellness,
what
they
need
to
grow
and
heal;
their
strengths
(not
their
weaknesses
or
what
needs
to
 be
fixed);
their
ability
to
help
themselves;
and
how
their
disease
and/or
conditions
relate.
There
is
 also
an
inclusion
of
the
nurse’s
need
to
know
and
understand
self
as
an
instrument
of
healing.
 Health
is
defined
as
indicated
above;
it
involves
all
aspects
of
the
human,
including
disease
and
 conditions.


 
 
 These
two
paradigms
of
nursing
exist
today.
They
influence
how
nurses
think,
how
they
assess
 situations,
where
they
focus
their
care,
and
the
competencies
they
emphasize
in
their
practice
 (Erickson,
2010,
pp.
1‐69).
Yet,
nothing
is
all
one
way
or
another.
In
reality,
most
nurses
subscribe
 to
some
of
the
philosophy
of
Holistic
Nursing,
even
though
they
don’t
call
themselves
holistic
 nurses,
and
don’t
carry
the
philosophy,
standards,
and
competencies
throughout
their
practice.


©AHNCC, Not to be reprinted without permission Instead,
they
practice
on
those
aspects
of
the
Holistic
Nursing
philosophy
that
blends
with
their
 own
belief
system.
 
 For
example,
as
nurses,
we
know
that

“…a
succinct
statement
of
the
ethical
obligations
and
duties
 of
every
individual
who
enters
the
nursing
profession
(is)
nonnegotiable…
“
(ANA,
2001,
p.5).
This
 code
confirms
that
we
are
ethically
bound
to
“…practice
with
compassion
and
respect
for
the
 inherent
dignity,
worth,
and
uniqueness
of
every
individual”
and
that
“…the
nurses
primary
 commitment
is
to
the
patient,
whether
an
individual,
family,
group,
or
community”
(ANA,
2001,
p.
 4).
These
are
core
obligations
of
all
nurses.
In
addition,
many
nurses
have
a
eudemonistic
view
of
 health—one
that
focuses
on
quality
of
life
and
wellness
(Smith,
1981;
Erickson,
2010,
pp.
44,
55);
 one
that
defines
healing
as
a
bringing
together
the
parts
in
such
a
way
as
to
enhance
wellness.
Many
 also
view
themselves
as
instruments
of
healing,
use
presence
and
intentionality,
focus
on
the
 strengths
of
their
clients,
and
aim
to
empower—not
fix—them.
While
members
of
this
later
group
 may
not
define
themselves
as
holistic
nurses,
they
are
practicing
within
basic
precepts
of
Holistic
 Nursing.
 
 The
AHNCC
Nurse
Coach
Certification
Program
 
 The
Professional
Nurse
Coach
Role,
conceptualized
by
Hess,
Dossey,
Southard,
et
al,
2012
was
 aligned
with
the
Standards
and
Ethics
of
Nursing
as
defined
by
ANA
(2010)
and
developed
within
 foundational
precepts
of
the
Holistic
Nursing
philosophy
and
paradigm.

 
 The
American
Holistic
Nurses’
Credentialing
Corporation
(AHNCC)
holds
that:
 
 1.

Many
nurses
have
the
attitudes
and
beliefs
essential
for
the
Nurse
Coach
practice.
 Furthermore,
nurses
who
hold
these
values
run
across
the
profession
of
Nursing,
practice
 in
all
settings
and
with
all
populations.
AHNCC
believes
that
these
nurses,
with
the
 appropriate
additional
educational
experiences
and
practice,
can
fulfill
the
role
of
the
 Professional
Nurse
Coach
as
defined
by
said
document.

 
 2.

AHNCC
is
the
official
credentialing
body
for
practice
based
on
the
precepts
of
Holistic
 Nursing;
therefore
AHNCC
is
the
appropriate
Credentialing
body
to
develop
a
national
 certification
program
for
the
Professional
Nurse
Coach.


 

 3.
Nurses
Certified
in
Holistic
Nursing
and
certified
in
the
Professional
Nurse
Coach
role
are
 qualified
to
practice
as
a
Health
and
Wellness
Nurse
Coach
and
should
be
credentialed
 accordingly.


 
 
 The
Nurse
Coach
Role
Defined
 
 


The Role of the Nurse Coach has been defined by Darlene Hess, Barbara Dossey, Mary Elaine Southard, Susan Luck, Bonnie Schuab, and Linda Bark in Professional Nurse Coach Role: Defining Scope of Practice and Competencies (2012), and endorsed by leading Nursing Organizations including the

©AHNCC, Not to be reprinted without permission

American Holistic Nurses Association, American Nurses Association, American Academy of Nurses, Sigma Theta Tau, Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools, and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. It is also under consideration by other leading Nursing organizations. According to the authors Professional Nurse Coaching is “…a skilled, purposeful, results-oriented, and structured relationship-centered interaction with clients provided by Registered Nurses for the purpose of

achievement of client goals.” (p. 9, 38) Clients of Professional Nurse Coaches are the experts of their needs, and as such, set the agenda for the Coaching Process.

The Professional Nurse Coach “… may focus on health and wellness coaching, executive coaching, faculty development coaching, managerial coaching, business coaching, or life coaching.” (p. 10) These expanded roles require additional knowledge and skills, specific to the focus of the Nurse Coach’s practice. AHNCC takes the position that knowledge, skills and attitudes related to health and healing are inherent in Holistic Nursing (AHNA, 2007, Holistic Nursing, Scope and Standards of Practice, p. 6, 21).

Therefore, nurses Certified in Holistic Nursing have validated their competency in knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to facilitate clients in their pursuit of health and wellness (AHNA,

2007, Holistic Nursing, Scope and Standards of Practice, p. 1-6, 26). Coupled with knowledge and skills essential for the Nurse Coach and validated by AHNCC Nurse Coach Certification, Certified Holistic Nurses can practice as Health and Wellness Nurse Coaches.

Nurse Coaching Described

Nurse Coaching occurs in a cyclic manner, with a dynamic unfolding of client and process. The aim of Nurse Coaching
 is
 to
 facilitate
 “…
 clients
 to
 grow,
 develop,
 and/or
 change
 in
 such
 a
 way
 that
 assists
them
to
realize
their
potential”
(Hess,
D.,
Dossey,
B.,
Southard,
M.,
et
al,
p.3)
Nurse
Coaches,
 aware that effective change evolves from within before it can be manifested and maintained externally, use skills and knowledge that integrate body-mind-emotion-spirit. They
 achieve
 these
 ends
 by
 co‐ creating
nurse‐client
relationships
that
facilitate
their
clients
to
identify
their
needs
and
related
 goals;
plan
strategies
necessary
to
meet
these
goals;
and
evaluate
their
progress.





Nurse Coach Practice Settings

Nurse Coaches work with individuals and/or groups in all areas and specialties of nursing practice. They “…are staff nurses, ambulatory care nurses, case managers, advanced practice nurses, nursing faculty, nurse researchers, educators, administrators, or nurse entrepreneurs.” (Hess,
D.,
Dossey,
B.,
Southard,
 M.,
 p.10) Their involvement in the Nurse Coach role “…is dependent on coach specific education, training, experience, position, and the population they serve.” (Hess,
D.,
Dossey,
B.,
Southard,
M.,
p. 3, 10)

The Nurse Coach Domain 


The body of knowledge of Nurse Coaching is specific to the competencies of the Nurse Coach, which are embedded, in the basic precepts of Holistic Nursing. The knowledge and skills of the Nurse Coach are organized around five (5) Core Values: 1) Nurse Coach Philosophy, Theories, and Ethics; 2) Nurse Coach Process; 3) Nurse Coach Communication and Coaching Environment; 4) Nurse Coach Education, Research, and Leadership; and 5) Nurse Coach Self‐Development (i.e. Self-‐Reflection, Self Assessment, Self‐Evaluation, Self‐Care). (Hess, Dossey, Southard, et al, p.21)

©AHNCC, Not to be reprinted without permission

(ANA, 2010a) and based within the precepts of Holistic Nursing. This means that the Nurse Coach role, built upon basic nursing knowledge and skills, requires knowledge and a set of skills that are acquired by additional education beyond that acquired as a professional nurse, and specific to the Nurse Coaching Process.

Nurse Coach Certification Eligibility Criteria

Table 1. provides Eligibility Criteria required for nurses who seek AHNCC Nurse Coach Certification, effective April 1, 2013. Alternative criteria, effective September 1, 2012-March 31, 2013 are shown in Table 2. A full explanation for the criteria shown in Table 2 is provided immediately following Table 1, just before Table 2.

Table 1. Eligibility Criteria for the AHNCC Nurse Coach Certification Examination DATES

EFFECT IVE1

LICENSE EDUCATIONAL

BACKGROUND PRACTICE AS A NURSE CONTINUING EDUCATION2 PRACTICE AS A COACH

April 1, 2013 Unrestricte d and current United States RN license A minimum of a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from an academic accredited institution Active practice as a RN for a minimum of 2 years fulltime or a minimum of 4,000 hours the past five (5) years.

1) 60 CNEs, accrued over the past 3 years, that include content consistent with the Nurse Coach Core Values3 2) A minimum of 10 hours of personal coaching experience is recommended as a way of obtaining learning experiences related to Core Value 5: Nurse Coach Self-Development4

1) 60 hours experience that has been mentored, and/or supervised by an AHNCC

Certified Nurse who has a coaching certificate awarded from a nationally recognized organization5_.

2) Validation letter from a qualified Nurse Coach6_.

AHNCC recognizes that several professional nurses have been actively and competently practicing the Nurse Coach role, but do not meet our educational and/or practice criteria as stipulated in our criteria 







1_{Candidates who apply for the Professional Nurse Coach examination April 1, 2013, and thereafter will be required to meet}

the requirements indicted in this set of criteria. September 1, 2012-March 31, 2013 applicants will be accepted who meet criteria shown below.

2_{AHNCC stipulates CNE units as required. Academic credits that address content specific to the Nurse Coach Core Values}

will be accepted from accredited institutions with the same ratio as required by ANCC CNEs (60 minutes contact time of teaching-learning is equal to 1 CNE).

3_{Professional Nurse Coach: Scope and Competencies (Hess, Dossey, Southard, Luck, Schuab, & Bark. 2012).}

4_{Personal Coaching will also help candidates complete the Self-Reflective component on the Nurse Coach Application.} 5_{A Certified Nurse Coach is an AHNCC Certified Nurse who has a coaching certificate awarded by a nationally recognized}

organization.

6_{During
the
phase‐in
period,
a
person
qualified
to
sign
the
validation
letter
must
be
a
nurse
who
has
a
coaching}

certificate
awarded
by
a
nationally
recognized
organization.
After
March
31,
2013
Validation
Letters
must
be
signed
by


©AHNCC, Not to be reprinted without permission

effective April 1, 2013 (shown immediately above). AHNCC also recognizes that many of these nurses have the knowledge and skills necessary to practice Professional Nurse Coaching as described in our Handbook. Therefore, Effective September 1, 2012 through March 31, 2013, applications will be accepted from nurses who are able to meet criteria shown below immediately. Nurses who meet these criteria and have their Application postmarked by March 31, 2013, will be able to sit for the AHNCC Professional Nurse Coach Examination through December 31, 2013.


Table
2.
Alternative Eligibility Criteria for the AHNCC Nurse Coach Certification Examination DATES EFFEC TIVE7 LICENSE EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND PRACTICE AS A NURSE CONTINUING EDUCATION8 PRACTICE AS A NURSE COACH Sept 1, 2012 to March 31, 20139 Unrestricted and current US RN license. A minimum of ADN or Non-Nursing Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. Active practice as a RN for a minimum of 2 years fulltime or a minimum of 4,000 hours the past five (5) years10_.

1) 60 CNEs, acquired over the past 5 years, that include content consistent with the Nurse Coach Core Values11 ,12 2) A minimum of 10 hours of personal coaching experience is recommended as a way of obtaining learning experiences related to Core Value 5: Nurse Coach Self-Development13

1) 60 hours experience that has been mentored, and/or supervised by a Nurse who is a certified coach14_.

or

1) Year active practice as a Nurse Coach that can be verified by a Certified Coach. 2) Letter of practice competency validated by a Certified Coach. Certification Credential
 


Nurses who have successfully completed the AHNCC Nurse Coach Certification Program may use the designated credential NC-BC. Nurses who have successfully completed the AHNCC Nurse Coach 







7_{Nurses who meet these criteria and have their Application postmarked by March 31, 2013, will be able to sit for the AHNCC}

Professional Nurse Coach Examination for up to one year from the date of their Application acceptance, but no later than December 31, 2013.

8 _{Continuing nurse education units must be offered by a nationally recognized body such as ANCC, ICF, and}

IACET.


9_{Applications postmarked after March 31, 2013 will be required to meet criteria indicated as Effective, April 1, 2013. No}

exceptions apply.

10 _{Two years practice ensures that nurses are well prepared to practice within the context of ANA’s Nursing: Scope and}

Standards of Practice, 2nd Edition (2010), Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (ANA, 2008), the Position Statement on Holistic Nursing Ethics [AHNA, 2007]).

11_{Professional Nurse Coach: Scope and Competencies (Hess, Dossey, Southard, et al, 2012).}

12_{While CNE’s are preferred, AHNCC recognizes that nurses often attend educational programs that offer CEs rather than}

CNEs. If these are submitted as evidence of eligibility, it is essential that candidates describe how these educational units prepare them for the Nurse Coach role.

13_{Personal Coaching will also help candidates complete the Self-Reflective component on the Nurse Coach Application.} 14_{A
Certified
Coach
is
a
nurse
coach
who
has
been
certified
by
a
nationally
recognized
organization.
A
list
of
nationally}

©AHNCC, Not to be reprinted without permission

Certification Program, and are Certified in Holistic Nursing may use the designated credential,

HWNC-BC. These credentials verify that the individual has met all eligibility and testing requirements and is

currently certified as a Professional Nurse Coach or a Professional Health and Wellness Nurse Coach respectively.

The nurse must maintain certification in Holistic Nursing and Nurse Coaching to be able to use the HWNC-BC credential. HWNC-BC Nurses who fail to maintain their certification as a Holistic Nurse, but continue to maintain an active Nurse Coach certification can use the NC-BC credential and describe their practice as a Certified Nurse Coach, but cannot describe their certified practice as a Certified Health and Wellness Nurse Coach.

NC-BC and/or HWNC-BC cannot be used when the nurse has:

1. Not completed or maintained the respective AHNCC certification requirements; 2. Failed to follow required steps for recertification;

3. Requested inactive status as a NC-BC or HWNC-BC; or, 4. Had certification withdrawn by AHNCC.

NURSE COACH CERTIFICATION FEES

Nurse Coach (NC-BC) $425.00

NC with active Membership in an Endorsing Organization15

$375.00 NC with active AHNCC Holistic

Nurse Certification (i.e. HWNC-BC)

$350.00

Fees
are
effective
September
1,
2012


15_{See
Hess, Dossey, Southard, Luck, Schuab, and Bark, Professional Nurse Coach Role: Defining Scope}

©AHNCC, Not to be reprinted without permission

INFORMATION ABOUT THE NURSE COACH EXAMINATION 


Exam Development

AHNCC and the Professional Testing Corporation collaborated to develop a reliable and valid Certification Examination for the Professional Nurse Coach based on the current practice of Nurse Coaching. A multiple four-step process guided the development of the Certification Examination:

1. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken in 2009-2010 to assess the inclusion of references to or about the nurse coach
(Hess,
D.
&
Dossey,
and
B.
M.
2012.
Nurse
coaching:
A
 review
of
the
literature.)
Given
that
the
literature
provided evidence of the emergence of the role of the nurse coach, a study was undertaken to assess the need for a Professional Nurse Coach Certification Program (October 2010- October, 2011).

The results indicated a strong interest in the Professional Nurse Coach Role. AHNCC established a liaison with a group of Nurse Coaches involved in drafting a document to define the scope of the Nurse Coach. A liaison was established between this group of Nurse Coach leaders and AHNCC with the agreement between the two that AHNCC would further explore the need/interest in a Nurse Coach Certification and the “work” group would continue to work on drafting a document defining the Role of the Nurse Coach. This group of nurse leaders authored the first edition of the Professional Nurse Coach Role: Defining Scope of Practice and Competencies (Hess, Dossey, Southard, Luck, Schuab, & Bark, 2012) (in press)

2. The literature was revisited to identify the practice activities and practice behaviors of the Nurse Coach. A listing was created and categorized according to the ANA Standards of Professional Nursing (ANA, 2010). This was followed by the review of an expert panel of currently practicing Nurse Coaches to review the listing and evaluate each item to determine if: a) it was a Nurse Coach Competency, b) if yes, if it reflected the standard under which it was categorized, c) its clarity, d) redundancy, and e) other comments. They were also asked to do a secondary review of the listing, to consider it as a total set of competencies, and to determine if competencies were missing. If one was missing, the reviewers were asked to write the competency and identify the related Standard of Care. The information provided from their review was used to revise the competency listing. The revised set was sent to a new panel of expert Nurse Coaches. They were asked to follow the same system. Their comments and recommendations were again used to refine and tighten the listing of competencies. Finally, the 2012 document drafted by Hess, Dossey, Southard, et al was reviewed to ensure that the competencies compiled by the above process were reflected in this seminal document; both omissions and commissions were considered. Minor changes were made to a few of the competencies; a third Panel of Experts reviewed the changes.

3. The competencies were submitted to the Professional Testing Corporation (PTC) May 12, 2012 to be used as bases for a Role-Delineation Study (RDS). A survey will be developed and pilot tested. The survey and data collection methods will be revised according to the findings in the pilot test. The RDS will be undertaken this summer-fall of 2012. A Blue Print will be derived for the examination based on the findings of the RDS.

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Input Needed from Practicing Nurse Coaches

AHNCC needs the help of those who are currently practicing as a Nurse Coach in two ways. First, we need your help as an item writer for the Nurse Coach Certification examination. The competencies identified through a rigorous process, starting with a literature review led to a specification of competencies. These were reviewed by two expert-panels with revisions following each review. The final set of competencies provided the basis for a Role-Delineation Study (currently underway), and will be used as a guideline for item-preparation. They are included in Appendix B of our Nurse Coach Item-Writer’s Handbook. If you are willing to help us, please click here to download the Handbook.

We will also need a substantial number of Nurse Coaches, from various settings, and from different geographical areas, to respond to our Role Delineation Study that will be undertaken this summer. If you are willing and interested in participating, please contact us by sending your name, address, and information through our website (www.ahncc.org, Recertification page) or by contacting us at [email protected]. As soon as the study is ready, we will send you the link and instructions.