Functional Nurse Academy Success Stories: Rachel Pope and Building a Faith-Led Perimenopause Practice

Oct 23 / Melissa Schreibfeder, BSN, RN, BC-FMP

🎧 Listen to my podcast with Rachel below!

As Rachel entered perimenopause, debilitating fatigue and other changes in her health made it harder to get through the day.


She sought help from several healthcare providers, but the treatment options she was offered were primarily medications and/or surgeries.  She decided to explore a different approach.

That search for answers about her own health eventually changed the course of her nursing career. Rachel went on to leave hospital nursing, open her own functional wellness practice, and build a business that gave her more freedom, flexibility, and purpose than she’d experienced in years.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Rachel, a Functional Nurse Academy graduate, board-certified functional medicine practitioner, and registered nurse with more than 15 years of experience.

Rachel is the founder of Aligning Pathways, a faith-based functional wellness practice in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. She takes a whole-person approach to helping women navigate perimenopause, weight loss resistance, hormone imbalances, and other chronic health concerns.

Rachel's Journey: From ICU Nursing to Her Own Healing

Rachel began her nursing career in critical care and loved working in the ICU. She recognized the incredible value of conventional medicine in emergency situations, but also saw how desperately patients needed support before chronic illness progressed to a crisis.

Then Rachel experienced her own health challenges. As she entered perimenopause, her body began changing in ways she wasn't prepared for. She experienced extreme fatigue and a variety of other serious symptoms. 

She initially sought conventional medical care but was primarily offered medications and or surgery and then went on to work with a functional medicine provider. 

Unfortunately, that experience was extremely dissapointing. 

Her functional medicine provider ordered several expensive tests and then recommended an extensive regimen of supplements without meaningful guidance about her diet or other lifestyle factors. The protocol was expensive, complicated, and unsustainable.

That's when Rachel discovered Functional Nurse Academy. 

Her original motivation wasn't even to start a business. She wanted to learn how to help herself.

Rachel decided she would be her own first client.

Rachel put what she learned at Functional Nurse Academy into practice. She ordered her first DUTCH hormone test for herself and used what she’d learned to develop her own wellness plan. Within a few months she began to heal. 

Today, Rachel reports that her chronic fatigue and other debilitating symptoms resolved without the need for medication or surgery. 

Now, she is passionate about helping other women find their way through this same challenging season of life.

What Rachel Loved About Functional Nurse Academy

Rachel shared that Functional Nurse Academy didn't just give her the knowledge to improve her own wellness. It gave her everything she needed to confidently launch a business.


Some of the things she appreciated most included:

  • User-friendly, comprehensive training: Rachel loved how easy the learning platform was to navigate and how quickly she began learning valuable information.

  • A functional perspective on lab testing: FNA helped her understand the difference between conventional reference ranges and the optimal ranges used in functional medicine education.

  • Practical tools and resources: She appreciated having access to educational materials and resources she could immediately apply to herself and her clients.

  • Step-by-step business training: Rachel loved that the process of starting a practice was already outlined, making it easier to turn her education into a functioning business.

  • Alignment with her faith and values: Knowing Melissa was also a Christian and includes elective biblical content was an important part of Rachel's decision to enroll.

  • A quick return on investment: Rachel shared that she earned back her FNA investment within approximately one to two months through her initial DUTCH testing packages.


Without Functional Nurse Academy, I wouldn't have this business.
She also expressed how much she appreciated the work and dedication that went into creating the program, describing FNA as an incredible blessing in her journey.

Building Aligning Pathways: A Faith-Led Functional Medicine Practice

Today, Rachel operates Aligning Pathways in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, offering both in-person and virtual services.


Her practice specializes in supporting women who feel frustrated by persistent symptoms and are looking for personalized guidance.


Her main areas of focus include:


  • Perimenopause and hormone health

  • Weight loss resistance

  • Functional hormone testing and education

  • Metabolic health and inflammation

  • Mental wellness and the gut-brain connection

  • Faith-based wellness coaching


Rachel's approach combines functional and conventional testing, nutrition and lifestyle education, nurse coaching, limbic system rewiring, and spiritual support.


Rather than overwhelming clients with expensive supplement protocols, she prioritizes practical, sustainable strategies tailored to their individual needs. She also incorporates prayer into her work, reflecting her belief that lasting wellness involves caring for the mind, body, and spirit.

Prefer to watch? Watch my interview with Rachel below!

A Client Success Story: Losing 40 Pounds During Perimenopause

One of Rachel's favorite areas to work in is weight loss resistance, particularly for women navigating perimenopause.

During our conversation, she shared an inspiring success story about a client who had struggled with her weight for years.

This client hadn't been at her desired weight in 15 years...

After working with Rachel, she lost 40 pounds and reached a size she hadn't seen in more than a decade.

For Rachel, that transformation was about much more than the number on the scale. It was about helping her client feel healthier and regain confidence in her ability to make meaningful changes.

Rachel explained that her weight loss programs begin with a comprehensive laboratory assessment and an evaluation of each client's symptoms, habits, and individual needs. From there, she develops personalized recommendations that may include:

  • Nutrition changes: Adjusting food choices, protein intake, and eating patterns to support metabolic health.

  • Movement: Helping clients build realistic activity habits, starting with small steps when necessary.

  • Hydration: Ensuring adequate daily fluid intake.

  • Targeted supplement education: Considering a small number of supplements when appropriate, while evaluating medications, interactions, and individual health needs.

  • Functional lab education: Helping clients better understand markers such as hemoglobin A1C and how they relate to metabolic health.

  • Mind-body-spirit support: Incorporating encouragement, accountability, and prayer when aligned with the client's preferences.



Rachel emphasizes progress over perfection and works with clients to make changes that fit their actual lives.

From Hospital Burnout to Freedom and Flexibility

Rachel's success wasn't limited to helping clients.

After launching Aligning Pathways, she was able to resign from her hospital position within 4 months.

Although she loved caring for patients and praying with them before surgery, she had become frustrated with the demands of hospital nursing, particularly the lack of flexibility and compensation she experienced throughout her career.

After more than 15 years in nursing, she shared that her hourly pay hadn't meaningfully improved from what she earned early in her critical care career. Opening her own practice changed what was possible.

Rachel now works approximately 20 hours per week and shared that she is earning a higher income through her business than she was with her hospital salary. 

Just as importantly, she has gained the freedom to spend time on the things she values most. Today, Rachel can:

  • Homeschool her daughter

  • Help her husband with his business

  • Serve on staff at her church

  • Participate in ministry and community service

  • Spend more time with her family

  • Continue helping women through her own practice



Rachel shared that she finally feels she has the freedom to be present for her family while still doing meaningful work. And that's one of the greatest opportunities functional nursing entrepreneurship can provide.

From FNA Graduate to FNA Business Coach

Rachel's journey with Functional Nurse Academy has also now come full circle!


After successfully launching and growing her own functional medicine practice, Rachel has officially joined the Functional Nurse Academy team as our very first business coach for the FNA Monthly Mentorship program, an exclusive mentorship available only to FNA students.


In this role, Rachel brings her firsthand experience as a functional nurse entrepreneur to help other students navigate the business side of building their own practices.


Having gone from enrolling in FNA to earning back her investment, leaving hospital nursing, and building a successful business, Rachel knows firsthand what it takes to turn functional medicine training into a thriving practice. And now, she gets to help other nurses work toward that same goal!


It's incredibly rewarding to see our graduates not only succeed in their own businesses but also return to support the next generation of functional nurses.

About Rachel Pope, BSN, RN, BC-FMP

Rachel Pope is a registered nurse with more than 15 years of nursing experience, a board-certified functional medicine practitioner, Functional Nurse Academy graduate, and founder of Aligning Pathways in Mount Juliet, Tennessee.


After experiencing her own challenges with perimenopause, Rachel became passionate about helping women address hormone concerns, weight loss resistance, inflammation, and other chronic wellness challenges.


Through her faith-based practice, Rachel combines functional testing, nurse coaching, nutrition and lifestyle education, and spiritual support to help women pursue lasting wellness.


As of this article’s publication date, Rachel is accepting new clients for both in-person and virtual consultations.

Rachel's Website: https://www.rachelpopern.com/

Frequently Asked Questions About Becoming a Functional Nurse

What is a functional nurse?

A functional nurse is a licensed nurse who applies the principles of functional medicine to educate and empower clients by helping them identify and address potential root causes of health concerns. Functional nurses focus on nutrition, lifestyle, sleep, stress management, environmental influences, and other evidence-informed approaches while practicing within their nursing scope of practice.

What is the difference between a functional practice owned by a NP and RN or LPN?

Nurse practitioners may operate a medical practice where permitted by state law. Depending on their state's regulations, NPs may diagnose medical conditions, order and interpret laboratory testing, prescribe medications, and provide medical treatment.

RNs and LPNs can own and operate independent wellness-focused functional nursing practices. Rather than diagnosing or treating medical conditions, they educate and empower clients through personalized wellness plans, nutrition and lifestyle education, health coaching, specialty laboratory education and on going support.

How Do Non-Advanced Practice Functional Nurses Utilize Laboratory Testing?

RNs and LPNs can access both conventional and specialty laboratory testing through partnerships with functional medicine laboratories. These partnerships allow nurses to order testing through a physician network at affordable wholesale pricing, while practicing within their professional scope.

While nurse practitioners (NPs) may have the authority to diagnose medical conditions and independently order laboratory testing depending on their state laws, non-advanced practice nurses use laboratory data to educate clients about potential patterns of dysfunction. Laboratory findings can also help guide personalized wellness recommendations and support collaboration with the client's healthcare team to optimize health outcomes.

Please note: Certain states, including New Jersey (NJ) and Rhode Island (RI), have restrictions on laboratory ordering through some functional medicine laboratory networks.

Does Functional Nurse Academy provide continuing education for nurses?

Functional Nurse Academy is an approved provider of continuing nursing education. Graduates receive 90 nursing contact hours, approved for LPNs, RNs, and NPs.

The program combines comprehensive functional medicine education with practical application, case studies, and business mentorship, giving nurses the knowledge, tools, and confidence to launch and grow their own functional wellness businesses.

Can I become board certified after completing Functional Nurse Academy?

Yes! Functional Nurse Academy graduates are eligible for the following practitioner level board certifications through American Association of Natural Wellness Practitioners (AANWP)

  • Functional Medicine Nurse Specialist | BC-FMNS
  • Functional Medicine Practitioner | BC-FMP
  • Functional Wellness Professional | BC-FWP
  • Christian Wellness Practitioner | BC-CWP (for students completing our optional Christian content)

Below are the coaching credentials that our graduates qualify for through the American Association of Natural Wellness Coaches (AANWC)

  • Functional Nurse Health Coach | BC-FNHC
  • Functional Health Coach | BC-FHC

This program has been peer-reviewed and is endorsed by The American Holistic Nurses Association

CEs earned from the Functional Nurse Academy meet CE eligibility requirements for the following American Holistic Nurses Association board certification titles:

  • HN-BC® (Holistic Nurse Board Certified)
  • HNB-BC® (Holistic Nurse Baccalaureate Board Certified)
  • AHN-BC® (Advanced Holistic Nurse Board Certified)
  • APHN-BC® (Advanced Practice Holistic Nurse Board Certified)
  • NC-BC® (Nurse Coach Board Certified)

What is included in enrollment?

Functional Nurse Academy is the leading and most comprehensive functional nursing program on the market for LPN, RN and NP. Enrollment includes the following:

  1. 90 Nursing Contact Hours of functional nursing education
  2. Multiple Board Certification Pathways in functional medicine and holistic nursing
  3. Functional Nurse Toolkit with business resources and practice-building tools
  4. Social Media & Marketing Kit with 9 months of content, brochures, and business card templates
  5. 40+ Advanced Trainings covering functional medicine and business strategy (available in FNA monthly mentorship library)
  6. Six Months of FNA’s Monthly Mentorship Program FREE, including live educational trainings and 60 minutes of live Q&A each month, all hosted by FNA Founder Melissa Schreibfeder, BSN, RN, BC-FMP, plus case studies and full access to the mentorship library.
Write your awesome label here.

Ready to take the next step?

I’m so happy you’re interested in functional nursing! I’d love to connect with you at my next live informational + Q&A webinar, where you’ll learn all about functional nursing, how nurses across the country are launching their own functional wellness businesses, and how you can get started.

You’ll also have the opportunity to meet me live and get all of your questions answered!

Just click below to save your seat! I hope to see you there!

-Melissa Schreibfeder, BSN, RN, BC-FMP Founder & CEO, Functional Nurse Academy