◐ In development
Welcome to ACFN, the American College of Flourishing Nursing and Nurse Coaching.
ACFN is an emerging professional nursing community advancing Flourishing Nursing, nurse coaching, whole-person care, lifestyle-focused nursing, leadership, education, community health, and professional flourishing.
Our central belief is simple:
Nursing should help people flourish.
Nurses assess, teach, coach, advocate, lead, connect, and translate health science into everyday life. ACFN seeks to strengthen those roles while supporting the well-being of nurses themselves.
The nurse needs a garden too.
ACFN is meant to be the roots of Flourishing Nursing: the soil where ideas are tested, people are connected, and the work can grow.
And every garden depends on roots that are rarely seen. Certified nursing assistants and nursing assistants often spend more time beside patients than anyone else on the care team. They are the roots of Flourishing Nursing, and there is room for them at this table too.
Our mission
To advance Flourishing Nursing and nurse coaching through evidence-informed education, collaboration, leadership, health promotion, and compassionate whole-person care.
Our vision
Flourishing Nurses. Flourishing Patients. Flourishing Communities.
Who’s welcome
- Nurse practitioners.
- Registered nurses.
- Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (LPNs and LVNs).
- Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and nursing assistants.
- Nurse coaches, holistic nurses, and faith community nurses.
- Nursing students and nurse educators.
- Colleagues around the world, and the dietitians, health coaches, community health workers, and culinary partners who work beside nurses.
How to take root with us
- Put your light on the Community Map so we can see where interest is growing.
- Help shape Flourishing Nursing by sharing what would make it useful where you work.
- Read about Flourishing Nursing, including the August 2026 presentation that started this conversation.
Continue the Journey Together
Join the Kitchen Monk free community on Facebook. No purchase required, no perfection required.
Learn. Connect. Coach. Lead. Flourish.
Moving Nursing Forward.
— Nathanael Elijah Smith, FNP-C, DipACLM
ACFN is a developing professional community. It is not a school, an accredited institution, or a certifying body, and it does not grant degrees, credentials, or continuing-education credit. Taking part does not change anyone’s scope of practice, which is set by their licensing board, state or country, and employer. ACFN is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Nurses Association, or any other organization named on this site.
