Ascension Hospitals in SE Michigan Lead U.S. in Holistic Nursing

For the third year in a row, four Ascension hospitals in southeast Michigan are leading the nation in holistic nursing. Ascension Macomb-Oakland, Ascension Providence, Ascension River District and Ascension St. John Hospital, have retained the national record for the highest number of board-certified holistic nurses in the country.

Since 2006, more 130 nurses at the four hospitals have achieved board certification in holistic nursing after attending the certification preparation courses offered through Ascension SE Michigan. Holistic nursing was recognized by American Nurses Association in 2006 as a nursing specialty with defined scope and standards of practice. Holistic nursing defines healing the whole person as its goal, taking a mind, body, spirit, emotion and environment approach to the practice of traditional nursing.

“It encourages nurses to integrate self-care, self-responsibility, spirituality and reflection into their lives,” said Maureen Chadwick, PhD, RN, NE-BC, chief nursing officer, Ascension Michigan. “These concepts are an integral part of our nursing professional practice model and align with our Ascension Mission and Values of being dedicated to spiritually centered, holistic care, which sustains and improves the health of individuals and communities.”
The Holistic Nurse Intensive-Core Curriculum© (HNI) is a unique three-session program offered in a retreat setting and prepares nurses to take the American Holistic Nurse Credentialing Corporation certification exam in Holistic Nursing. Upon completion, nurses are awarded 58 CE’s applicable toward board certification. Graduates are able to incorporate new knowledge and skills into their nursing practice, embody therapeutic presence and implement person-centered care.

In Michigan, Ascension operates 15 hospitals and hundreds of related healthcare facilities that together employ over 20,000 associates. Across the state, Ascension provided over $272 million in community benefit and care of persons living in poverty in fiscal year 2018. Serving Michigan for over 140 years, Ascension (www.ascension.org) is a faith-based healthcare organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care. As one of the leading non-profit and Catholic health systems in the U.S., Ascension is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. In FY2018, Ascension provided nearly $2 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Ascension includes approximately 156,000 associates and 34,000 aligned providers. The national health system operates more than 2,600 sites of care – including 151 hospitals and more than 50 senior living facilities – in 21 states and the District of Columbia, while providing a variety of services including physician practice management, venture capital investing, investment management, biomedical engineering, facilities management, clinical care management, information services, risk management, and contracting through Ascension’s own group purchasing organization.

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