Functional Medicine for Nurses: What Happens After the INCA Program Ends?
- Brigitte Sager
- Oct 26
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 10
If you’re an RN or NP who completed the Functional Medicine for Nurses course that I developed and taught through the Integrative Nurse Coach Academy (INCA), you’ve likely heard the news: the program is coming to a close at the end of this current cohort.
And if you’re anything like the many students I have heard from recently—you’re probably asking:
“Now what?”
“Is there a next step?”
“How do I keep growing in this specialty I love?”
You’re not alone. The truth is, functional medicine for nurses has grown so rapidly, it needed something more—something bigger, independent, and built specifically with nursing in mind. Functional nursing couldn't live as a specialty course at the rate it has been growing in popularity, and we needed to go deeper.
To meet IFM's core compentencies, we also needed to bring in the coaching and communication skills that help nurses translate functional knowledge into real-world patient transformation.
That’s exactly why we've founded the Institute for Functional Nursing™ (IFN) and are preparing to launch the new Functional Nursing Program™.
Why the Functional Nursing Program™ Was Born
The Functional Medicine for Nurses course that I delivered through INCA was a powerful introduction. I know because I developed and taught it to over one thousand RNs and NPs—and because I saw firsthand how deeply it resonated with nurses and nurse practitioners alike.
But what became clear over time is that this work deserves its own home and the shorter course wasn't enough for nurses. Functional medicine isn’t just a side interest for holistic nurses—it’s evolving into a true specialty within nursing. It needed its own space to grow. It needed its own infrastructure, its own leadership, and (hopefully on the horizon in the coming years!) its own certification path.
That’s what we’re focused on at IFN.
The Functional Nursing Program™ is a comprehensive, two-semester educational pathway that goes far beyond the foundational level—equipping nurses to become leaders in functional healthcare while mastering the coaching approaches that make behavior change sustainable.
So What’s Different About the IFN Program?
Let’s start with what nurses want to know most:
“How is this different from what I already did with INCA?”
Here’s what sets the new program apart:
✓ Two Full Semesters of Comprehensive Training
Semester One (launching early 2026) focuses on foundational concepts like nutrition, lab interpretation, gut health, and functional biochemistry—framed around IFM’s core competencies and taught in a nursing-centered structure.
Semester Two (Fall 2026) is where things deepen: advanced case studies, clinical reasoning, physical assessments, therapeutic interventions, and more real-world application.
And yes—this program is fully appropriate for both registered nurses and nurse practitioners. The curriculum is grounded in the nursing scope of practice and supports a wide range of roles—from RNs to NPs seeking to build private practices or integrate functional medicine into their current clinical work.
Whether you’re focused on patient education or clinical decision-making, this program will expand your ability to apply root-cause care in a way that aligns with your role and licensure.
I’ve been teaching functional medicine in partnership with the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) for years, and we’re honored that IFM is excited to support this new chapter. The Functional Nursing Program™ is designed to teach directly to IFM's published clinical competencies—bringing a nursing lens to the gold standard in root-cause medicine and blending them with communication skills to foster patient engagement and long-term adherence.
Our vision is that our first cohort will complete both semesters by December 2026.
✓ A Shift from Systems to Strategy
Unlike the INCA foundational course that I developed—which was organized more like foundational nursing training (like cardiometabolic health and brain health modules)—the Functional Nursing Program™ is built around clinical reasoning, IFM core competencies, and real-world problem solving. It’s designed to help you think like a functional nurse!
You'll also develop the ability to guide patients through readiness for change, set realistic goals, and build self-management confidence- all part of IFM's published clinical compentencies.
This means more case studies, more interaction, more skill-building—so you're not just learning concepts, you're learning how to use them in practice.
✓ Designed Specifically for Functional Nursing Professionals
We fully intend for graduates of this program to be at the forefront of the nursing certification process when it becomes available. In fact, IFN hopes to be a key voice in shaping what functional nursing board certification looks like in the future. This program is designed with that goal in mind from day one.
While we’re proud to teach directly to the Institute for Functional Medicine’s (IFM) published clinical competencies, it’s important to note that we do not control or influence IFM’s certification eligibility criteria. As of now, they have not formally announced how or when they will begin accepting alternative educational pathways beyond their own program for their new certification testing.
✓ Built by Nurses, For Nurses
This isn’t a repackaged health coaching program or a physician-level course shoehorned into nursing practice. It's functional medicine and coaching- integrated into one evidence-based model created by nurses, for nurses. Every lesson, every case study, every strategy is tailored to how nursing professionals think, practice, and lead, and designed to help you support your patients in getting meaningful and lasting results.
I Did the Functional Medicine for Nurses Program at INCA: Will This Be Repetitive?
A fair question—and an important one.
Because the INCA Functional Medicine for Nurses program offered foundational training, there will naturally be some overlap (particularly in Semester One) of the new Functional Nursing Program™. That’s to be expected in any comprehensive curriculum. But what we’ve done at IFN is build a new scaffolding around that foundation, elevating it with:
New frameworks for clinical application
More advanced labs and case-based learning
Deeper integration of the IFM model
Clear application of the functional model from the nursing lens
A multi-faculty approach with many expert instructors who are all graduate-prepared functional medicine nursing professionals and IFMCP certified through IFM
Motivational interviewing and patient-partnership strategies that support sustainable behavior change
Guest educators and collaborators from across the field of holistic nursing and root-cause medicine
And we are particularly excited to include support from leading labs, supplement companies, and clinical tool providers who are eager to help nurses implement a functional approach in real-world practice with resources and product education.
Put simply: we’re not just teaching you “what”—we’re teaching you “how.” And you won’t be learning alone.
Why IFN is the Premier Destination for Functional Nursing Professionals
Our faculty is what truly sets IFN apart. Every instructor in the Functional Nursing Program™ is a graduate-prepared nurse with advanced training in functional medicine and IFMCP board certified through IFM. You’ll be learning from nursing professionals and clinical experts who understand the real-world challenges nurses face—and how to overcome them. And they all have experience establishing their own functional nursing practices. Learn more about our faculty here.
This isn’t just academic. It’s practical, nurse-centered, and rooted in a deep understanding of how functional medicine can transform both patient outcomes and nursing careers.
We're also bringing together guest educators, integrative clinicians, and industry collaborators to offer a rich, multidimensional experience. From advanced lab companies to holistic care insights, we’re bringing resources that have never before been curated specifically for nurses.
This is the new home for functional nursing—and we’re just getting started.
Special Incentives for INCA Graduates
We deeply value the nurses who helped grow this movement. If you’re a graduate of the INCA Functional Medicine for Nurses™ course or you've been following along with us on this journey, you’ll have access to exclusive early registration pricing for our very first cohort.
Get on the waitlist now to be the first to know when early registration doors open in fall 2025.
Early enrollment will include deeply discounted introductory pricing for our first cohort as a thank-you to the nurses who’ve already invested in this path, and payment plans will be available.
The Future of Functional Nursing Starts Now
If you’re wondering what comes after INCA—the answer is: we are building something BIGGER. Together.
The Functional Nursing Program™ through IFN is not just a course—it’s a movement. It’s a declaration that nursing deserves its own voice in the functional space. That nurses are not just caregivers—we’re leaders, educators, and revolutionaries in the healthcare system.
We’re not here to replace the past. We’re here to build on it—and create a future where functional nursing is recognized as a true nursing specialty that changes lives.
Final Thoughts
We’re so grateful to INCA for bringing functional medicine to thousands of nurses. We lit the spark there. Now, we’re building the fire at IFN= where functional medicine and holistic nursing skills come together under one nursing-led standard to help patients achieve real transformation- body, mind, and lifestyle.
If you’re ready to take the next step, we’d love to walk with you.
Let’s shape the future of healthcare—one functional nurse at a time.
Not Ready for the Full Program Yet?
We know that timing and commitments vary. If you're not quite ready to dive into a full comprehensive program in a few months, you can still grow with us.
The Institute for Functional Nursing™ also offers:
Shorter, self-paced CE courses designed to build foundational knowledge in areas like nutrition, lab interpretation, and holistic care.
Our Functional Nursing Membership™, has been running for almost one year now, and it includes live case study reviews, expert sessions, and a growing library of recorded MeetUps—perfect for nurses seeking community and ongoing education.
