The Legal Do's and Don'ts of Functional Nursing

A legally reviewed guide that shows what nurses can and can’t do in functional medicine, so you can build your practice with confidence instead of guesswork.

Reviewed by Pam Girardi, Healthcare Attorney and Founder of Girardi Healthcare Law

You’ve heard you have to be a nurse practitioner to work in functional medicine. That’s one of the most common myths in functional nursing.
You’re not sure what you’re allowed to say about labs, supplements or a client’s symptoms.
You want to offer coaching or consulting to clients in other states and aren’t sure if your license allows it.
You want your website, social media and intake forms to describe your services accurately.
You want to protect your nursing license while you grow your business.

What's Inside this Guide

Clear, legally reviewed education on scope of practice, labs, marketing and cross-state practice for functional nurses.

What functional medicine is, and why the terminology alone doesn’t determine whether you’re practicing medicine; the services you provide do. It also covers how attorneys differ on titles like “Functional Medicine Practitioner” versus “Functional Health Practitioner.”

A side-by-side breakdown of what NPs/APRNs, RNs and LPN/LVNs can and can’t do, and why a certificate or private credential doesn’t expand your license. It also covers what to know before coaching or consulting with clients in other states.

Ten practical do’s covering consent forms, ordering labs, explaining lab results, supplement recommendations, when to refer, keeping your marketing language consistent, and when to get legal guidance.

The four biggest mistakes to avoid in functional medicine nursing.

How Functional Nurse Academy trains nurses. That includes 90 accredited contact hours, AHNA endorsement, IFM interprofessional membership, board certification pathways, live mentorship and a listing in the nation’s largest functional nursing directory.

An invitation to Melissa’s free live webinar. It covers how nurses are legally integrating functional medicine into wellness businesses, common mistakes new practitioners make, how testing is used, and how to structure and market your programs. The last 30 minutes are a live Q&A.

I am thrilled to offer the leading and most comprehensive functional nursing program on the market!

Functional Nurse Academy is dual accredited, endorsed, and peer-reviewed by the American Holistic Nurses Association and is an Interprofessional Organizational Member of The Institute for Functional Medicine.

We are more than just an educational platform—we are a community of nurses working to transform healthcare from the inside out through a root-cause, holistic approach.

We are also committed to humanitarian outreach and, to date, have donated more than $85,000 to multiple initiatives, including medical funds for those affected by COVID-19 vaccine injuries, clean water projects in impoverished African communities, and organizations supporting victims of human trafficking.

To date, I have had the privilege of training more than 700 nurses in functional nursing and business mentorship.

I hope this guide, The Legal Do's and Don'ts of Functional Nursing gives you a glimpse of what is possible for you as a functional nurse!

Melissa Schreibfeder, BSN, RN, BC-FMP

Founder of The Functional Nurse Academy