Chat Room: Homeopathic Nurses Association

The Homeopathic Nurses Association (HNA) was founded in 1984 and is a support and professional organization for nurses worldwide, who are interested in homeopathy. HNA is open to all nurses, whether or not they are using homeopathy in their patient’s healthcare and education. Homeopathy is a science and healing art founded 200 years ago by Samuel Hahnemann, based on the principle that “like cures like.” It is a leading form of complementary medicine and is practiced around the world for achieving and maintaining optimum health.

The Homeopathic Nurses Association acknowledges the increasing prevalence of homeopathy being offered in conventional healthcare settings. The number of nurses wishing to incorporate homeopathy into their nursing practice is also increasing to meet the needs of patients as well as nursing and public health goals. Homeopathy is a valuable system for nurses to understand and use. HNA is the leadership organization for the advancement and integration of homeopathy in nursing. The Homeopathic Nurses Association reaches out to those in the nursing profession to share the benefits of homeopathic healthcare, the rewards of homeopathic practice and is poised to provide leadership for the advancement of homeopathy in nursing.

HNA believes that nurses can make major contributions in shaping health policy and, because nurses closely interact with health care consumers in a wide variety of settings, they have a broad appreciation of the health needs of consumers. Additionally, HNA wishes to promote the advancement of the legitimate role of homeopathy in nursing throughout the health care system and the recognition of homeopathic nursing as a specialty area of nursing that is based on a nucleus of competencies and knowledge.

In 2003 the HNA Board of Officers identified the need for the development of Standards of Practice to articulate the role of nurses as homeopaths to patients, their families, the public, organizations, employers, educators, and certifying, regulatory and legislative bodies. A Standards Committee was convened and prepared queries and contacted all State Boards of Nursing (SBON) via telephone, email, and by visiting websites as to scope of practice for homeopathy use in nursing.

Next, a three-phase plan was created to gather, translate, and assimilate data from each BON, and to develop Homeopathic Nursing Standards of Practice. The committee’s work on these Standards was through quarterly teleconferencing, email, written comments and discussions at the Annual Meeting of the HNA. Ann met with the President of The American Holistic Nurses Association in June 2005. The American Holistic Nurses Association has previously forged the way for the specialty of holistic nursing and is willing to mentor and support HNA. Several drafts were created over a three-year period with a final draft presented at our general teleconference in September.

The Standards of Practice were accepted by the general membership that time. The Standards will be used as an internal document to provide competency, consistency, and continuity in patient care through the development of a structure to standardize homeopathy in nursing while maximizing patient outcomes and controlling health care costs.

Lia Bello was the Co-Founder, first President, and is currently the Immediate Past President of HNA. She is the President of the Council on Homeopathic Certification and has a private practice, HomeopathicCare, in Questa, NM.

Over the last 8 years, Ann McKay has served as Secretary/Treasurer, Vice President, and is currently President Elect of HNA. Ann is also a Networker, previous Rhode Island State Coordinator with the American Holistic Nurses Assn., and is co-founder of and practitioner at The Homeopathic Center of Southern New England in Providence, RI.