The Functional Nurse Podcast - Nursing in Functional Medicine

In this insightful episode, host Brigitte Sager interviews Rebekah Sireci BSN, RN, the founder of Bare Health Co. Rebekah shares her inspiring journey into nursing, which began after a life-changing car accident as a teenager. Though she initially pursued a career in the corporate world, she later followed her passion for healthcare, training as a nurse in England. Specializing in oncology, Rebeka...

In this episode, functional medicine nurse practitioner Brigitte Sager shares important updates and emerging topics in functional nursing. From the availability of continuous glucose monitors over the counter to new certification processes by the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), this episode covers the latest developments that are shaping the future of functional nursing. Brigitte discusse...

In this episode of The Functional Nurse Podcast, Brigitte Sager interviews Jazmine Reyes, RN, BSN, BC-NC, about her journey from ICU nursing to holistic and functional medicine practice. Jaz shares her experiences as a travel nurse during the pandemic, which led her to shift towards a more intentional, slow-paced, and ancestral approach to health. Together, they discuss how nurses can integrate an...

In this episode, functional medicine nurse practitioner Brigitte Sager shares her thoughts on how nurses can transform healthcare through holistic and functional nursing practices. Brigitte discusses the critical role nurses play in reshaping healthcare systems by stepping into leadership and entrepreneurial roles, while emphasizing the importance of maintaining integrity and ethics. She explores...

In this episode of The Functional Nurse podcast, host Brigitte Sager, DNP, discusses a frequent question: Should a nurse call themselves a health coach? Brigitte addresses the differences between calling oneself a nurse coach versus a health coach and the legal and professional implications. She explains the importance of protecting the nurse’s license and adhering to scope of practice laws, espec...

In this episode of The Functional Nurse podcast, host Brigitte Sager, DNP, sits down with Pamela Melson, a dedicated nurse coach with over 30 years of experience in blending allopathic and integrative medicine. Pamela is passionate about holistic community and mental health care, emphasizing mindfulness, self-care, and functional medicine to prevent compassion fatigue and burnout among healthcare...

In this episode of The Functional Nurse podcast, host Brigitte Sager, DNP, explores the common misconception that registered nurses (RNs) cannot diagnose patients. Brigitte addresses this misconception by distinguishing between medical diagnoses and nursing diagnoses and explains how nursing diagnoses align with the holistic and functional medicine approach. Key highlights include: The differences...

In this episode of The Functional Nurse podcast, Brigitte Sager interviews Chelsea McGee, a registered nurse and holistic health practitioner. Chelsea shares her journey from serving in the military to becoming a nurse, nurse coach, and ultimately starting her own business. She explains how she integrates Eastern healing concepts with Western medicine through modalities such as sound healing, Reik...

In this episode, functional medicine nurse practitioner and educator Brigitte Sager shares her key takeaways from the 2024 IFM Annual Conference in Las Vegas. Brigitte highlights the growing role of nurse coaches in functional medicine and the exciting developments presented by thought leaders like Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Jeffrey Bland. She discusses topics like the long lag between research and cl...

Sponsored by the Institute for Functional Nursing — Learn more at  www.fxnursing.com What does functional medicine look like when practiced through the lens of 35 years of nursing experience? In this episode of The Functional Nurse Podcast, Brigitte Sager, DNP, IFMCP, interviews Monique Class, MSN, ARNP, IFMCP, a board-certified family nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist in holistic h...

Sponsored by the Institute for Functional Nursing — Learn more at  www.fxnursing.com Imposter syndrome in nursing is more common than we admit — and it often intensifies when stepping into functional medicine, holistic nursing, leadership, or advanced practice roles. In this episode of The Functional Nurse Podcast, Brigitte Sager, DNP, IFMCP, explores why nurses at every level — from new grads and...

In this episode of The Functional Nurse Podcast, Brigitte Sager, DNP, shares her top five key takeaways from the Integrative Nurse Coach Symposium held in Miami, Florida. From the importance of self-care in nursing to trauma-informed care and community service, Brigitte covers the most impactful insights from the event. Learn more about the Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation movement, the power of trau...

This episode is proudly sponsored by the Institute for Functional Nursing. Explore functional nursing education, mentorship, and community at:  www.fxnursing.com Discover how nurses are transforming patient care through the lens of functional and integrative medicine. In this episode of The Functional Nurse Podcast, host Brigitte Sager, DNP, sits down with Rita Wadhwani, RN, MSN, ACNP, CNS, RNC-NI...

Sponsored by the Institute for Functional Nursing – Explore programs and resources at www.fxnursing.com What happens when nurses start asking why—why symptoms are showing up, why healthcare is failing so many patients, and why they became nurses in the first place? In this episode of The Functional Nurse Podcast, Brigitte Sager explores how functional medicine begins with asking deeper questions—a...

Sponsored by the Institute for Functional Nursing (IFN) — helping nurses lead the future of healthcare through functional medicine education and support. Learn more at  www.fxnursing.com In this inspiring episode of The Functional Nurse Podcast, Brigitte Sager, DNP, IFMCP, sits down with Melissa Armstrong, BSN, RN, HWNC-BC, a board-certified nurse coach and functional medicine practitioner who lef...

Sponsored by the Institute for Functional Nursing. Learn more about our programs at  www.fxnursing.com In this episode of the Functional Nurse Podcast, Brigitte Sager tackles a common misconception in healthcare: is functional medicine really not covered by insurance? She breaks down what functional medicine actually is—rooted in holistic nursing, patient education, and lifestyle-based care—and ex...

Sponsored by the Institute for Functional Nursing (IFN) — supporting nurses in building impactful, root-cause-focused practices through functional medicine education. Learn more at  www.fxnursing.com In this episode of The Functional Nurse Podcast, Brigitte Sager, DNP, sits down with Julie Davey, NP, a nurse practitioner and functional medicine educator with over 25 years of experience. Julie shar...

Sponsored by the Institute for Functional Nursing — Learn more at  www.fxnursing.com “What should I call myself?” It’s one of the most common questions nurses ask when stepping into functional medicine, integrative care, lifestyle medicine, or holistic nursing practice. In this episode of The Functional Nurse Podcast, Brigitte Sager, DNP, IFMCP, breaks down the practical and ethical differences be...

Sponsored by the Institute for Functional Nursing (IFN) Learn more:  https://fxnursing.com Explore the Functional Nursing Program™:  https://learn.fxnursing.com/the-functional-nursing-program   In this episode of The Functional Nurse Podcast, Brigitte Sager, DNP, IFMCP interviews Lindsey Buhl, RN, BSN about the essential role of functional nursing in preventive care, chronic disease management, an...

Sponsored by the Institute for Functional Nursing (IFN) — supporting nurses in building sustainable, nurse-led functional and holistic practices. Learn more at  www.fxnursing.com In this episode of The Functional Nurse Podcast, Brigitte Sager, NP, a functional medicine nurse practitioner and nurse educator, dives into an important and often challenging topic for nurse entrepreneurs: knowing your w...

Sponsored by the Institute for Functional Nursing — Learn more at  fxnursing.com Is functional medicine misunderstood—or is it being misrepresented? In this episode of The Functional Nurse Podcast, Brigitte Sager, FNP makes the case that functional medicine has a branding problem—and explains why nurses are uniquely positioned to help fix it. She defines what functional medicine is supposed to be:...

Sponsored by the Institute for Functional Nursing – Learn more at  fxnursing.com In this powerful interview, Brigitte Sager, DNP sits down with Dr. Terry Wahls, MD, IFM Certified Practitioner and author of The Wahls Protocol, to explore how a functional medicine and lifestyle-based approach transformed her experience with progressive multiple sclerosis. Dr. Wahls shares her deeply personal journey...

Sponsored by the Institute for Functional Nursing –  www.fxnursing.com   Are your hormone patients still struggling with symptoms like PMS, fatigue, mood swings, or irregular cycles — even when labs look normal? In this episode, hormone expert Dr. Carrie Jones joins us for a high-level conversation on the often-overlooked connection between gut health and hormone symptoms. From estrogen metabolism...

Sponsored by the Institute for Functional Nursing. Learn more about our programs at  www.fxnursing.com In this episode of the Functional Nurse Podcast, Brigitte Sager interviews Bev Mazza, an integrative registered nurse and founder of Purely Present Health, who specializes in stress management, mindfulness, and behavior change. Bev shares her unique journey from psychology and veterinary medicine...

In this episode of The Functional Nurse Podcast, Brigitte Sager, DNP, discusses the crucial topic of how to prioritize care when practicing functional nursing. Drawing from her experience with over 500 nursing and nurse practitioner students, she addresses the common challenge of determining where to start when addressing patients' health concerns. Brigitte emphasizes the importance of starting wi...