What is a holistic nurse?
A holistic nurse is a registered nurse who considers the whole person (body, mind, emotions and environment) and may use approaches such as stress reduction, guided imagery or therapeutic touch alongside conventional treatment.
Training
The base is an RN license. The American Holistic Nurses Certification Corporation offers certification in holistic nursing. Evidence for individual integrative therapies varies a lot, so read what a program teaches about how the evidence is weighed.
Where they work
Hospitals with integrative medicine programs, hospice and palliative care, wellness centers and private practice, which may have its own state rules.
Pay
Not separate in federal data. The median RN earned $97,550 in May 2025.
Pay and projections: Bureau of Labor Statistics. NCLEX figures: NCSBN. Enrollment: AACN. Sources and years are ondata sources.