CRN Promotes Role of Nurse Practitioners

WASHINGTONThe Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) joined forces with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Foundation (AANPF) to help raise awareness of the role of nurse practitioners in the quest for good health within the supplement industry and with consumers.

As part of the CRN/AANP/AANPF initiative, CRN will add information to its website, including fact sheets and press releases providing consumers with more information about nurse practitioners and the services they offer. A recent survey conducted by AANP found that most consumers had direct contact or knew someone who had direct contact with a nurse practitioner, yet most were still unaware of the services provided.

 As this countrys healthcare needs continue to evolve, consumers are looking for ways to be proactive with their health, and more and more consumers may find themselves turning to a nurse practitioner," said Steve Mister, president and CEO, CRN. We know from research from the Lifesupplemented Healthcare Professionals Impact Study that nurse practitioners both personally use and professionally recommend dietary supplements as part of a healthy lifestyle. These factors make it important for our industry to support the professional organization for nurse practitioners and for us to work with them to further educate the public about nurse practitioners. We are proud to be a contributing sponsor of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Foundation and would encourage others in the supplement industry to do the same."  

Kay Todd, executive director, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Foundation, added, Nurse practitioners are well educated, highly trained and committed healthcare professionals who offer excellent care and service to their patients. They understand dietary supplements are an important mainstream component of overall wellness, taken by millions of Americans every year. We would like to work with the dietary supplement industry to further educate nurse practitioners about all aspects of dietary supplements." 

According to survey results from the 2009 "Lifesupplemented" Healthcare Professionals Impact Study, 87 percent of nurse practitioners agreed that dietary supplements can play an important role in improving or maintaining the health of their patients. Additionally, 100 percent of nurse practitioners surveyed reported having a conversation about supplements with a patient, including 55 percent who indicated that they had initiated the conversation.

 This tells us nurse practitioners are playing an active, important role with consumers" Mister said. As consumers seek ways to improve their overall health, they will likely look to their nurse practitioner to help determine which supplements are right for them. We appreciate that nurse practitioners are prepared to engage their patients in meaningful dialogue on the subject of being healthy, and because of that, we expect these health care providers will continue to take an increasingly vital and visible role in modern medicine. We are pleased to be in a position to utilize our resources for the benefit of AANPF."