Topeka, KS -- (ReleaseWire) -- 08/26/2013 --Dr. Rothlyn (Rorry) Zahourek PhD, PMHCNS-BC, AHN-BC has been named the 2013 Holistic Nurse of the Year by the American Holistic Nurses Association.

This is the highest honor awarded by AHNA – an international organization of holistic nursing professionals. It recognizes Dr. Zahourek’s outstanding achievements in the field of holistic healthcare and her contributions in furthering the practice of holistic nursing.

Dr. Zahourek’s being honored also acknowledges her lifelong efforts to bring caring and healing to the forefront of all aspects of nursing practice. “I am committed to championing holistic compassionate care, its credibility, relevance, and its advancement,” she said at the announcement of her award, adding “I see this as an evolution that began with Florence Nightingale - in nursing and in all aspects of health care.”

Dr. Zahourek is widely recognized throughout the nursing profession for her continuing research on intentionality in healing. She is the author of Intentionality: The Matrix of Healing: A Qualitative Theory for Research, Education and Practice, editor of Clinical Hypnosis and Therapeutic Suggestion in Nursing and Health Care, and author of the award-winning Relaxation and Imagery: Tools for Therapeutic Communication and Intervention.

“Rorry has embodied caring and holistic healing throughout her nursing career, and has been a strong mentor, leader and researcher in the specialty of holistic nursing,” observed AHNA President Peggy Burkhardt. She continued, “Dr. Zahourek’s deep commitment to holistic nursing research and her strong leadership in elevating and supporting colleagues as beginning researchers has been evident at every turn. We are honored to have her as a leader in our community.”

“Rorry is the embodiment of holistic values, leading the way for us all in holistic education and approaches to care,” observed Helen Erickson Ph.D., R.N. immediate past Holistic Nurse of the Year recipient and a longtime associate. “As a visionary for holistic health, caring, and healing, she models the mission of AHNA to foster a vital community that advances holistic health and nursing.”

Formerly a full-time faculty member the University of Massachusetts School of Nursing, Dr. Zahourek continues there today as an adjunct. As a clinical nurse specialist she had a private psychotherapy practice in Amherst and served as a consultant in dual diagnosis at several mental health facilities in Western Massachusetts.

Furthermore, this year’s award winner is past Chairperson of the AHNA Research Committee, past Research Coordinator on the AHNA Board of Directors, and served on the committee organizing the 2013 annual AHNA conference held this past June in Norfolk, VA.

She received her BSN from Skidmore College; her MSN from the University of Colorado; and her PhD from NYU. She lives in Belchertown, MA.

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.

The organization’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 32 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 both in the U.S. and abroad.

Holistic nursing is recognized by the American Nurses Association as an official nursing specialty with both a defined scope and standards of practice.