CRN partnership to promote nurse practioners’ supplement advice
Judy Blatman, CRN’s senior VP, Communications, told NutraIngredients-USA: “A large percentage of people do not understand the services that nurse practitioners provide their patients and it is our goal to help get out the word that nurse practitioners are a viable option when it comes to your health.”
CRN plans to publish fact sheets and press releases on its website providing consumers with information about nurse practitioners and their services.
Dietary supplements
According to CRN’s ‘Life…supplemented’ Healthcare Professionals Impact Study, nurse practitioners personally use and professionally recommend dietary supplements as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Results from the 2009 study showed that 87 percent of nurse practitioners agreed that dietary supplements can play an important role in improving or maintaining the health of their patients. 100 percent of nurse practitioners surveyed reported having a conversation about supplements with a patient, including 55 percent who said that they had started the conversation.
Steve Mister, CRN president and CEO, said: “This tells us nurse practitioners are playing an active, important role with consumers. 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.”
Most consumers have direct contact or know someone who has direct contact with a nurse practitioner but most are unaware of the services provided, according to a recent survey conducted by AANP.
Kay Todd, executive director, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Foundation, said: “Nurse practitioners are well educated, highly trained and committed healthcare professionals who offer excellent care and service to their patients.
Overall wellness
“They understand that 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.”
AANP is the oldest and largest national professional organization for nurse practitioners of all specialties. The organization represents the interests of about 140,000 nurse practitioners across the US.
The AANP Foundation aims to advance the role of nurse practitioners through the support of education, research and practice for the improvement of the public’s health.
The US dietary supplement industry is about a $27bn annual industry, according to Nutrition Business Journal.
