Nutrition Certification for Nurses: Earn Your Holistic Nursing CEs AHNA Approved for Contact Hours
An Integrative & Functional Nutrition Certification Program for RNs, LPNs & Holistic Nurses
As a holistic nurse, you understand that food is more than fuel — it's information that can either support or disrupt healing. This certification is a transformative continuing education program designed specifically for RNs and LPNs who want to use nutrition to educate, coach, and empower clients, all while staying grounded in the nursing process and scope of practice.
Why Enroll in This Nutrition Certification?
- Learn Functional Nutrition Through the Nursing ProcessApply assessment, nursing diagnosis, care planning, implementation, and evaluation to nutrition-based client education.
- Translate Complex Nutrition Science Into Practical Client EducationBreak down inflammation, blood sugar regulation, hormone balance, and gut health into actionable, client-centered coaching strategies.
- Identify Root Contributors to Chronic ConditionsRecognize patterns related to fatigue, digestive dysfunction, insulin resistance, anxiety, hormonal imbalance, and chronic inflammation.
- Stay Within Nursing Scope of PracticeThis course emphasizes education, referral, collaboration, and ethical boundaries — not diagnosing or prescribing.
- Earn 35 Continuing Nursing Education Contact HoursApproved by the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA #1938), an approver recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) — the exact holistic nursing CEUs you're looking for.
What You'll Learn
Self-paced learning modules combined with recorded clinical integration sessions so you can complete your holistic nursing CEUs around your existing shift schedule.
Module 1: Foundations of Functional Nutrition (2 hrs)
- Functional vs. Conventional Models
- The Nursing Process in Nutrition
- Scope of Practice, Ethics, and Legal Boundaries
Module 2: Functional Biochemistry & Root-Cause Pathways (5 hrs)
- Key Biochemical Pathways & Nutrient Roles
- Inflammation, Methylation, Mitochondria, Environmental Stressors
- Applying These Concepts to Coaching & Care Planning
Module 3: Functional GI System & Microbiome (3 hrs)
- Digestive Function, Gut Integrity, and Microbiome Balance
- The 5R Protocol and Personalized Gut Support
- Strategies for Educating Clients on Gut-Health Linkages
Integration Session 1 (2 hrs)
- Case Study: Developing Client-Centered Plans Using Functional GI Concepts
- Review of Nursing Diagnoses Related to Nutrition & GI Concerns
Module 4: Functional Testing & GI Lab Interpretation (4 hrs)
- Understanding Stool Test Markers (GI-MAP, GI Effects, etc.)
- Using Results as a Tool for Collaboration & Referral
- Framing Lab Discussions in Coaching, Not Diagnosis
Module 5: Gut-Brain Axis & Mental Health Nutrition (2 hrs)
- Neuroinflammation, Microbiome and Emotional Wellness
- Nutrition for ADHD, PTSD, Anxiety, Depression
Module 6: Blood Sugar, Stress & CGM (3 hrs)
- Blood Sugar Patterns, CGM Interpretation & Lifestyle Coaching
- Insulin Resistance, Cortisol, Glycemic Variability
- Cardiometabolic Education and Client Empowerment
Integration Session 2 (2 hrs)
- Case Study: Coaching Clients with Fatigue, Insulin Resistance, and Anxiety
- Identifying Nursing Diagnoses and Outcomes
Module 7: Hormonal Health & Gut-Gonadal Axis (3 hrs)
- Estrogen Detox, PCOS, Thyroid, Adrenal Fatigue
- Functional Hormone Lab Overview for Referral Understanding
- Client-Centered Strategies for Hormonal Balance
Module 8: Therapeutic Diets & Clinical Application (3 hrs)
- Anti-Inflammatory, Elimination, Mediterranean, Ketogenic
- Vegetarian, Paleo, Intermittent Fasting
- Tailoring Nutrition Plans to Client Readiness and Preference
Module 9: Functional Foods, Supplements & Detox (2 hrs)
- Foundational Supplement Safety & Red Flags
- Whole Foods for Detox Pathways
- Scope-Appropriate Coaching for Food-Based Healing
Integration Session 3: The Functional Kitchen (2 hrs)
- Teaching Clients Meal Prep, Food Literacy & Grocery Skills
- Simple, Evidence-Based Nutrition Planning Nurses Can Share
Integration Session 4: Clinical Integration & Business Building (2 hrs)
- Conducting Nutrition Consults Using Coaching Frameworks
- Creating a Compliant Holistic Practice
- Case Reviews and Tools for Professional Success
Disclosures & Approval
To successfully complete this course and receive 35 contact hours, participants must:
- View 100% of the enduring recordings
- Complete a post-test with a score of 80% or higher
- Submit 7 integrative care plans, each identifying 1 root cause for: Diabetes, Hypertension, Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia, Obesity, and Chronic Pain
Course taught by Dr. Vanessa Ruiz, ND, RN-BSN. This is an online course. After registration, participants receive an educational portal to access modules online.
No one with the ability to control content of this activity has a relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with an ineligible company.
This nursing continuing professional development activity was approved by the American Holistic Nurses Association, an approver recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
AHNA #1938 · Expires 08/05/2027
Approval for contact hours through the American Holistic Nurses Association is based on an assessment of the educational merit of this program and does not constitute endorsement of the use of any specific modality in the care of clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this holistic nursing CEU course for?
RNs and LPNs seeking to integrate functional nutrition, coaching, and lifestyle education into their holistic practice — without stepping outside their legal nursing role.
Do I need experience in nutrition?
No prior experience is required. You'll learn foundational through advanced strategies in a supportive, nurse-centered environment.
Can I work full-time while enrolled?
Yes. This certification is entirely self-paced, so you can complete your holistic nursing CE contact hours around your existing shift schedule.
How is this different from other nutrition courses?
This course is created by a nurse, for nurses, blending evidence-based functional nutrition with the nursing process, coaching language, and scope of practice alignment.
Will I be diagnosing, prescribing, or treating diseases?
No. This course trains you to educate, coach, and collaborate, empowering your clients and guiding them through safe, ethical nutritional frameworks that respect licensure boundaries.
Nutrition Certification for Nurses
Self-paced, online. 35 AHNA-approved contact hours.
- Over 20 hours of video content
- Unlimited lifetime access
- 35 AHNA-approved contact hours
Explore Our Other Holistic Nursing Certifications
Nutrition Certification for Nurses: Earn Your Holistic Nursing CE
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Overview of Integrative and Functional Approaches
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The Nursing Process in Functional Nutrition
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Scope of Practice and Ethics in Functional Nutrition
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Functional Nutritional Biochemistry
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Macronutrients As the Foundations of Energy
This module explores the biochemical foundations of macronutrient metabolism—carbohydrates, proteins, and fats—through both a classical and functional nutrition lens. Students will examine how the body generates, stores, and mobilizes energy by tracing key metabolic pathways. Clinical applications will highlight how nutritional biochemistry supports metabolism in stress, recovery, chronic illness, and preventive care.
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Inflammation Pathways
This module explores the role of fats in the inflammatory processes. Some fats promote inflammation, while others help calm it. By understanding these biochemical roles, nurses can cut through the confusion around fats and gain clarity on how they impact metabolic health.
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Chrononutrition and Chronobiology
This module explores how hormonal rhythms shape energy, metabolism, and mood, and how they are tied to circadian biology. When circadian asynchrony occurs—through disrupted sleep, irregular meals, or modern demands—these rhythms misalign, affecting health in profound ways. The emerging field of chrononutrition invites us to consider how the timing of nutrition and lifestyle patterns may help realign the body’s innate clocks.
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Functional Root Causes In Chronic Disease
This module for holistic nurses explores the functional root causes of chronic illness, including oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction and more. Learn to recognize symptoms, use assessment tools, and apply nutrition as a preventive and therapeutic strategy. Gain practical skills to assess imbalances and educate patients in restoring health and resilience.
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Functional Digestion & Enhancing Gastrointestinal Function
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Functional Digestion
This module explores the anatomy and physiology of digestion and how dysfunction impacts health. Nurses will learn how enzymes, motility, absorption, and the microbiome influence energy, mood, and chronic disease. With this foundation, nurses gain practical tools to educate patients on evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle strategies that promote optimal gastrointestinal function
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Master the 5R Protocol for Gut Health
Discover the 5R Protocol—Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, Repair, and Rebalance—as a systematic framework for gut healing. This module teaches nurses how to use and educate the framework for inflammation, dysbiosis, and other digestive dysfunction. Gain skills to support both patient health and your own self-care with this practical, evidence-informed approach.
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Enhancing Gastrointestinal Function
This module takes a deeper dive into the gut–brain axis, circadian rhythm, microbiome balance, and immune tolerance. Nurses will learn how stress, toxins, and chronic inflammation drive gut dysfunction and autoimmunity, and how functional nutrition strategiescan restore balance. With a focus on the nursing role as educator and advocate, this course empowers you to apply interventions, improve resilience, and support long-term gastrointestinal health.
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Functional Lab Tests
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Introduction to Functional Lab Tests
This introduction video guides nurses through the foundations of functional testing—understanding scope of practice, differentiating testing types, and connecting results to nursing diagnoses. Before exploring direct access testing or lab acquisition, this module helps nurses build confidence in ethical, collaborative, and holistic decision-making—bridging science with whole-person care.
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Foundations in Functional Lab Testing
Functional lab testing looks deeper than routine labs, revealing how the body functions before disease develops. It helps uncover root causes like gut imbalance, inflammation, or nutrient depletion. For nurses, these tests guide education—not diagnosis—by connecting physiology with lifestyle. Through collaboration and holistic insight, nurses help patients turn data into meaningful steps toward healing.
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Enhancing Gastrointestinal Function with Labs
Discover how functional lab testing empowers nurses to identify root causes of gastrointestinal dysfunction. This course explores stool, organic acid, and permeability testing to assess digestion, inflammation, and microbiome health. Learn to integrate the 5R Protocol and scope-appropriate education to guide patients toward balance and resilience. Ideal for holistic nurses advancing functional nutrition expertise.
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Integration: Case Review for Functional Nutrition
Explore how nurses apply functional nutrition principles using a clinical scenario. This course integrates the nursing process (ADPIE), functional testing, and the 5R Protocol to address gut health, inflammation, and stress-related imbalance. Gain practical tools to interpret root causes, create SMART goals, and educate patients within your holistic nursing scope. Ideal for nurses advancing integrative care expertise.
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Functional Nutrition for Brain and Mood Health
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Integrating Nursing Process and Functional Nutrition in Mental Health
Integrating functional nutrition into the nursing process allows nurses to address both the biological and emotional root causes of mental health challenges. Through assessment, diagnosis, planning, and intervention, nurses identify imbalances in stress, sleep, nutrition, and inflammation—using tools like SMART goals and the 5R framework—to guide evidence-informed care that enhances mood, resilience, and overall well-being
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Functional Root Causes in Mental Health
Functional nutrition identifies key biological and lifestyle imbalances—oxidative stress, inflammation, gut-brain axis dysfunction, hormonal shifts, and nutrient deficiencies—that underlie mental health symptoms. By addressing these root causes through diet, lifestyle, and personalized care, nurses can help restore balance, resilience, and optimal brain function
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Integrative Nutrition Approaches for Mental Health: Therapeutic Diets
Learn how holistic nurses can support mental health and well-being through evidence-informed nutrition education. This module explores the Mediterranean and anti-inflammatory dietary patterns, highlighting their impact on inflammation, mood, and resilience. Nurses will gain confidence in discussing safe, scope-appropriate nutrition strategies and collaborating within interprofessional teams to promote whole-person healing.
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Mindfulness and Commonly Used Supplements in Mental Health
Explore the connection between nutrition, mindfulness, and mental health through the 5R Framework—Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, Repair, and Rebalance. This module helps holistic nurses understand common use of supplements, gut-brain balance, and integrative strategies to safely support emotional well-being within nursing scope of practice.
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Functional Nutrition for Cardiometabolic Health
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Functional Nutrition for Hypertension
Learn how nurses can support patients with hypertension through evidence-informed nutrition education and lifestyle guidance. This module explores the 5R Framework, cardiometabolic panels, and therapeutic diets such as DASH and Mediterranean—helping nurses understand how food, stress, and lifestyle influence blood pressure within the nursing scope of practice.
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Functional Nutrition for Diabetes
Learn how nurses can support patients with Diabetes through evidence-informed nutrition education and lifestyle guidance. This module explores the 5R Framework, cardiometabolic panels, and therapeutic diets such as Low Carbohydrate and Mediterranean—helping nurses understand how food, stress, and lifestyle influence blood glucose within the nursing scope of practice.
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Functional Nutrition for Hyperlipidemia
Explore the functional nutrition approach to hyperlipidemia through biochemistry, root-cause analysis, and the 5R Framework. This module guides nurses in applying the nursing process, interpreting functional tests, and using scope-appropriate education on therapeutic foods and nutraceuticals to support lipid balance, inflammation reduction, and cardiometabolic health.
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Functional Nutrition for Hormonal Balance
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Functional Nutrition for Women's Hormonal Balance
Explore functional nutrition for women’s hormonal health through biochemistry, root-cause analysis, and the 5R Framework. Nurses will learn to assess PMS, PCOS, and menopause within scope of practice using functional tests and therapeutic nutrition to restore balance, support detoxification pathways, and optimize vitality across every stage of life.
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Functional Nutrition for Men's Hormonal Balance, Thyroid and Adrenal Function
Explore functional nutrition approaches to support men’s hormonal balance through the lens of biochemistry, thyroid health, and adrenal resilience. This module guides nurses in applying the 5R Framework and nursing process to assess testosterone, thyroid, and cortisol patterns, interpret functional tests, and provide scope-appropriate education using foods and nutraceuticals that restore energy, metabolism, and vitality.
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Foundations of Functional Nutrition
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Safe Use of Supplements
Learn how to safely evaluate and educate patients on supplement use within nursing scope. This course guides holistic nurses in assessing supplement quality, efficacy, and safety using evidence-based criteria, label interpretation, and professional ethics to support informed, integrative care decisions.
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Functional Foods
Discover what defines functional foods and how they support wellness and chronic disease prevention. This module helps holistic nurses identify nutrient-dense, evidence-supported foods, understand their clinical benefits, and educate clients on integrating these into daily routines for optimal whole-person health.
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Foundations of Functional Nutrition - Macronutrients and More
This lesson highlights the importance of food quality over quantity for caloric balance, emphasizing the benefits of high-quality, low-calorie foods for metabolism and appetite. It also discusses the limitations of calorie counting for autoimmune diseases or diabetes and explores the health and environmental advantages of organic foods. Additionally, it covers nutrition basics, macronutrients, therapeutic diets, and optimizing nutrient intake.
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Foundations of Functional Nutrition - Therapeutic Dietary Patterns
Explore the foundations of functional foods through an integrative lens. This module compares major dietary patterns—including the Standard American, Mediterranean, Ketogenic, Low Carbohydrate, Paleo, Vegetarian, Vegan, Low FODMAP, Elemental, and Elimination diets—helping holistic nurses understand their evidence, biochemistry, and how to educate patients safely within nursing scope.
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Nutritional Insight and Care Planning for Holistic Nurses
Learn how to assess and interpret diet diaries using the nursing process. This training helps nurses recognize nutritional patterns, support informed lifestyle choices, and promote wellness through education and collaboration—all within a holistic, patient-centered approach to care.
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Archived
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Functional Nutrition for Diabetes
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Functional Nutrition for Hypertension
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Functional Nutrition for Obesity
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Functional Nutrition for Chronic Pain
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Functional Nutrition for Insomnia
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Archived - Certificate in Integrative and Functional Nutrition
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Archived - Functional Approaches to Chronic Illness
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Archived - Functional Nutrition for Depression
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Archived - Functional Nutrition for Anxiety
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Live Modules
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Live 1 - Integration of Modules 1-3 March 2026
Functional Nutrition education for nurses seeking a root-cause approach to chronic disease. Learn GI function, anatomy and physiology, foundations of nutrition, and nurse-appropriate application of the 5R protocol for integrative and functional practice.
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Live 2 - Integration of Functional Testing Jan 2026
Join our live module designed for holistic nurses to confidently interpret functional test results. Learn how to review stool analysis, food sensitivity panels, and integrate findings through real-world case discussions. Build your clinical reasoning, connect lab data with patient care, and apply evidence-based, scope-appropriate recommendations in holistic nursing practice.
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Live 3 - The Functional Kitchen
The Functional Kitchen for Nurses teaches practical meal prep, convenient healthy recipes, and functional nutrition strategies that support energy, metabolic health, and patient education within nursing scope of practice. Nurses learn how to build balanced meals, streamline cooking, and apply concepts through a real-world case study to strengthen clinical coaching skills and promote sustainable, evidence-informed lifestyle change.
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Live 4 - Integration of Clinical and Entrepreneurial Skills in Functional Nutrition
Join our live module designed for holistic nurses to integrate functional nutrition in clinical and business practice.
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Completion Instructions