Nurses leading the way: a holistic view of excellence.

Healthcare professionals and patients realize that healthcare is forever changing. Yet 1 thing remains constant: Nursing leaders are driven to perform effectively, economically, and efficiently while being highly invested in human caring. Doing the right intervention at the right time for the patient, their families, and communities continues to inspire us. No wonder the annual Gallup survey on Honesty and Ethics in Professions shows that Americans rank nursing as the most trusted profession, year after year. Nursing is a holistic profession aligned with treating the patient as a whole person with a steadfast commitment. Nursing takes the duty of advocacy for our patients as sacred work, and the profession has been grounded in this understanding for more than 100 years. Over the decades, we became nurse scientists, scholars, administrators, and entrepreneurs, all leading the way for healthcare evolution. Goals for the future among nursing leaders in the United States and beyond focus on retention and development of workforce, continuous quality improvement, financial stewardship, positioning organizations to achieve and sustain high levels of quality and satisfaction outcomes, and being recognized as leaders in healthcare services. The 34th annual meeting of the American Holistic Nursing Association (AHNA) occurred in June 2014 and promoted the theme ‘‘Through the Looking Glass: AVision of Holistic Leadership.’’ A plenary session was held by American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) leadership and colleagues from the BirchTree Center for Healthcare Transformation, the world’s oldest and largest holistic nursing education center. Speakers were asked to address the alignment of Magnet Model components and the AHNA holistic nursing principles. A brief review of holistic nursing and the inception of AHNA may assist readers in understanding the longstanding relationship with the American Nurses Association (ANA). Since December 2006, holistic nursing has been recognized by ANA as a nursing specialty. The 2nd edition of Holistic Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, published in 2013 by the AHNA, includes 5 core values (see below) and 16 standards of professional performance for holistic nursing.