Topeka, KS -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/25/2014 --The American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) awarded the 2014 Holistic Nursing Service Award to Deborah Shields, PhD, RN, CCRN, AHN-BC at the just-completed AHNA annual conference held in Portland, OR.

The award recognizes a holistic nurse for her active participation in membership and leadership positions as well as volunteer services that enhance holistic nursing principles and policy at national, state and local levels. This award is given for a nurse who demonstrates a sustained commitment to AHNA’s mission and goals.

About Deborah Shields
Dr. Shields is a nursing faculty member at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio Department of Nursing and serves as a Staff Nurse at Doctors Hospital Ohio Health in Columbus.

Her participation and leadership in nursing activities includes serving on the AHNA’s Education Planning Committee since 2005, and in 2007 serving as Chair. Her focus helped the committee to evaluate programs and revise the 4th and 5th editions of the Foundations of Holistic Nursing 65 contact hour home study course.

Dr. Shields served as the Lead Nurse Planner for both the 2010 and 2011 annual AHNA conferences and under her guidance, educational teleconferences have been transformed into Webinars for AHNA members. She also led the effort to provide CNE for articles published in the AHNA’s bimonthly Beginnings magazine. She has a major commitment to nursing education and now serves as AHNA’s Education Coordinator with the goal of ensuring holistic educational activities are strategic, and meaningful, and timely.

Dr. Shields has served for 13 years on the Board of the Therapeutic Touch International Association and has held many positions with the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), participating in national workgroups and acting as chapter advisor for Indiana and Ohio. She has chaired the annual conference committee for 17 years for the Central Ohio Chapter of AACN, in addition to serving in all elected positions.

About AHNA
Since its founding in 1981, the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) – a non-profit professional membership organization - has increasingly become the definitive global voice for holistic nursing for registered nurses and other holistic healthcare professionals around the globe. It is open to registered nurses and other individuals interested in holistically-oriented health care practices throughout the United States.

The organization recently announced their 35th Annual Conference, entitled Healthcare: Grounded in Holistic Nursing, will be held June 12-17, 2015 at the Chateau on the Lake Resort Spa & Convention Center in Branson, Missouri.

AHNA’s primary mission is to advance holistic healthcare by increasing awareness, education, and both professional and personal community-building among nurses, other healthcare professionals, and the public.

Over the past 34 years AHNA has consistently delivered valuable resources, improved educational tools, and offered superior networking opportunities to a vibrant and expanding universe of healthcare professionals. AHNA currently services almost 4,500 members through 130 local chapters/networks in both the U.S. and abroad.

AHNA supports the education of nurses, allied health practitioners, and the general public on health-related issues and the concepts of holism: a state of harmony among body, mind, emotions, and spirit within an ever-changing environment. Holistic nursing is recognized by the American Nurses Association as an official nursing specialty with both a defined scope and standards of practice.

The American Holistic Nurses Association™ Education Provider Committee is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center™ Commission (ANCC) on Accreditation. Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #10442.

More information about AHNA can be found online at www.ahna.org.