About the Course

After many months of development in collaboration with our developing Functional Medicine Schools director Keri Douglas, FNP, The Elite Nurse Practitioner is proud to announce The Functional Medicine Advanced Gut Health Course, the Elite NP guide on integrating functional medicine-based gut health principles into your practice. This is an exciting addition to our developing functional medicine line of courses and will be a foundational part of the upcoming functional medicine school that the Elite NP plans to launch in the coming year! This course is an advanced course that builds off our Foundational Functional Medicine Course but applies to any nurse practitioner wanting to understand gut health, how it is the root of various diseases, and how to treat the patient from a functional medicine perspective!

So, for those unaware of what functional medicine is, functional medicine is defined as a patient-centered and systems biology-based approach to chronic disease management where the root cause of the disease is identified and addressed. Essentially, the underlying root cause of chronic diseases are identified, and a more holistic approach of treatment is pursued that focuses on treating the root cause of disease while enabling patients to make lifestyle changes that will bring their body back into balance and well-being.

How does gut health play into this? In functional medicine, gut health refers to the balance and proper functioning of the gastrointestinal system. This includes the integrity of the gut lining, the diversity and abundance of beneficial gut microbes, and the effectiveness of digestion, absorption, and elimination processes. The goal is to optimize gut health as it plays a crucial role in overall health and wellness, influencing immune function, hormonal balance, and even brain function. The gut is considered the foundation of a healthy mind and body by many functional medicine practitioners. And this course will provide you with that foundational education to begin evaluating and treating the most common gastrointestinal issues affecting your patient’s health and well-being!

This course is designed for the nurse practitioner who wants to learn more about functional medicine so they can integrate it into their practice or for those who already have a solid understanding of functional medicine but would like more advanced education on gut health. By evaluating the patient’s gastrointestinal well-being, the astute nurse practitioner can then identify the root cause of a variety of bothersome symptoms and diseases the patient can be experiencing and then treat that root cause to bring the patient back into optimal health.

The functional medicine space in the United States is rapidly growing and is valued at well over 90 billion dollars. What does this mean for the astute nurse practitioner entrepreneur? This will be the future of integrative and holistic medicine because more and more patients are looking to be treated as a person and want the root issues addressed vs. being shoved another pill and put down the conveyor belt of modern healthcare.

This course will teach the nurse practitioner who is looking to expand their integrative and functional medicine knowledge and learn about advanced gut health topics in a straight-to-the-point fashion. This course would still benefit those nurse practitioners without a functional medicine background. Still, it is highly recommended that a basic understanding of functional medicine be obtained as well (check out our Foundational Functional Medicine Course if you are seeking that knowledge). This course will not only cover the advanced clinical education of functional medicine-based gut health, but we will also cover the business aspects of integrating this service into your practice. After taking this course, you should be able to immediately begin integrating the principles discussed into your practice!

You will learn the following:

• Why gut health is considered the foundation to a healthy mind and body.
• Why evaluating your patients gut health is critically important to their overall health.
• How a variety of gastrointestinal disorders can affect every system in the body.
• The basic physiology of the gastrointestinal tract.
• How Intake, Digestion, and Absorption are so critical to health.
• How pancreatic enzymes affect gut health.
• The role a healthy gallbladder plays in overall health and well-being.
• Issues that cause malabsorption.
• What the gut-brain axis is and its role in functional medicine.
• The gut-hormone axis and its role in functional medicine.
• The gut-thyroid axis and its role in functional medicine.
• The gut microbiome and how it is critically important to overall health.
• What dysbiosis is and how to evaluate and treat it.
• What small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is.
• What yeast and fungal overgrowth can do to a person’s gut health.
• How parasites can affect the gut health and how to evaluate and treat them.
• The evaluation and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease.
• What gastritis is and how to treat it from a functional medicine standpoint.
• What intestinal permeability is and how to evaluate and treat the “leaky gut.”
• The testing and treatment of H. Pylori from a functional medicine perspective.
• All the concepts you need to know about celiac disease.
• The lab evaluation of the patient with gut health issues.
• Dozens of treatment options for various gastrointestinal issues.
• How to document the visits appropriately.
• Where to obtain functional medicine based gut health testing.
• Where to obtain specialty supplements and medications.
• How to succeed and more!

Plus, this course will reward 5 total CEU hours and 1 pharmacology hour so you can stay current with your certifications and licenses! That is right; you will obtain valuable and actionable knowledge PLUS earn CEU hours that you need to continue working as a nurse practitioner.

There are over 3 hours of video and audio content where Keri and I go over a 169-slide presentation in detail while being straight to the point on what you need to know about gut health from a functional medicine perspective. There will also be audio recordings for you to stream so you can learn on the go.

This course will also include a functional gut health assessment and treatment algorithm that you can keep handy as you see your patients!

I am confident that this course will enhance your knowledge about gut health and how it plays a vital role in your patient’s health! If you are truly interested in building your functional medicine knowledge base as a nurse practitioner, then this course will be an important addition to your clinical expertise.

If you are wanting to integrate more functional medicine-based services into your practice or rewire how you approach patient care, then you need to understand gut health and how it plays a critical role in the health of your patient. Expanding your functional/integrative medicine knowledge is a never-ending process, and this course is a no-brainer to help you build that knowledge. It is truly eye-opening just how important gut health is to the overall health and well-being of the mind and body and how you as nurse practitioner should treat the root cause to help your patient live a happier and healthier life!

This course will be on sale for only $399 until June 19th at 11:59pm PST! After that, the price will increase to $499 indefinitely. So, snatch up this course if you are serious about expanding your functional medicine knowledge, and don’t forget to check out our Foundational Functional Medicine course if are just starting out in functional medicine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I have unlimited access to this course?

Absolutely! You can access this course however many times you want for however long you want! All Elite Nurse Practitioner Courses are pre-recorded and accessible indefinitely!

Does this course cover the main concepts of gut health from a functional medicine standpoint?

Yes! Keri Douglas, FNP, has been a functional medicine practitioner for years and provides her unique and straight to the point insights in this course. She has consolidated the countless hours of education she has taken and put the most important information you need to know to get started!

Will this course really teach me how to begin evaluating and treating patients with gut health problems?

YES! We cover more advanced concepts of functional medicine gut health evaluation, assessment, and treatment. After taking this course, you should be able to begin approaching patient care differently once you understand how the gut is pivotal to overall health.

Do I need to have functional medicine experience to take this course?

Yes and no. While we highly recommend a base understanding of functional medicine before taking this course (as discussed in our foundational functional medicine course), this course would none the less benefit any nurse practitioner looking to expand their knowledge base.

What kind of nurse practitioner can implement these concepts into their practice?

This is within the scope of any nurse practitioner type. It is an approach to care, thus is applicable to anyone evaluating and treating patients.

Do I need to have a special certification to do this?

No! This falls within the scope of your nurse practitioner license.

Will this course cover the business aspects of functional medicine?

Yes, I will cover some practice integration concepts (such as vendors, labs, etc...) when it comes to gut health and functional medicine, but this course will not go over practice startup considerations. Our foundational functional medicine course will cover that!

I already own a practice; would this course benefit me?

Absolutely! You can integrate these services into your practice with ease!

Will this offer CME?

YES! This course offers 5 CE hours. The Elite Nurse Practitioner is credentialed as an organization that can provide CEU through the ANCC. CEU awarded through The Elite Nurse Practitioner applies to ANCC, AANP, and all boards of nursing!

Will this course provide a certificate of completion?

Yes! A certificate is issued at the end of the course that will show the CEU hours and your completion of this course. You can also use this to submit for reimbursement and it is a tax write off!

See what others have to say...

Kaye: I joined Elite NP FB group and after one day of being in the group, I signed up for 3 courses. I now have a clear and concise blueprint for additional modalities for my practice. Thank you Justin!!

Takeshanicole Z: Trustworthy, reliable and affordable education and guidance is provided. Timely responses with continued support and encouragement to become successful.

Angie B: I love Elite NP info and courses, but in addition, it has been really easy to communicate with Justin for any questions, concerns, etc. Since learning about Elite NP and engaging in the Facebook group, I have connected with so many other NPs with similar goals and the support has been incredible.