Program Overview

Holistic Nursing Online Graduate Certificate

The Holistic Nursing Online Graduate Certificate is a 9-credit online graduate program designed for Registered Nurses (RNs) with a Bachelor's Degree or higher. The program is offered by the University of Connecticut's (UConn) School of Nursing and can be completed within one year, beginning in the fall semester.

Program Overview

The program includes three 3-credit online courses that provide students with the educational foundation required to take the national board certification examination in Holistic Nursing. Students will learn about the state of the science in holistic care and the latest research on the efficacy and safety of various complementary and integrative health approaches.

Program Objectives

The program aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to integrate holistic principles and evidence-based approaches into their professional practice. Students will learn:

• The core principles, scope, and standards of practice related to Holistic Nursing
• The theories, models, definitions, and popular perceptions of Holistic Nursing, and how to apply them to address issues in health systems, services, practices, policy, and research
• The methods, effectiveness, and impact of holistic-based research, and how to apply them to develop evidence-based programs, policy, advocacy, and disseminate that information
• The skills for selected complementary and integrative health approaches relevant to Holistic Nursing
• How to integrate the concepts and approaches of Holistic Nursing into professional nursing care for individuals, families, groups, and populations

Application Deadline

The application deadline for the fall semester is July 1. Early application to the program is advised to avoid last-minute processing delays.

Endorsement

The program is endorsed by The American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation.

Testimonials

The program has received positive feedback from students, who have reported gaining confidence in supporting patients and developing a deeper understanding of holistic care. Some testimonials include:

• Schae Lewis (2025), School Nurse: "Before finding this program, I was questioning what my future in nursing would look like, and I was on the edge of considering another field. I was very burnt out, and I was just not happy with what I was seeing in the medical field."
• Allison (Allie) Schappell (2024), Registered Nurse, Oncology at Johns Hopkins Hospital: "I would say the biggest benefit of the program is being confident in supporting patients, because sometimes, especially as a newer nurse, it’s hard to figure out how to connect with your patients and how to be supportive of them."
• Jean Giles (2024), Registered Nurse, ICU, Westerly Hospital: "I’m so interested in a lot of different healing modalities, but this program brought everything all together. I still have many things that I want to learn, but I know that it’s just one thing at a time, so I don’t feel overwhelmed."
• Elle Moreno (2023), Elementary School Nurse, Holistic Care: "If you’re going to go into nursing, this should be required… There’s a mental health crisis in healthcare, and so we really need to take care of our nurses. Not just so they can be nurses, but so that they can be present and alive and healthy…"