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Registration
Frequently
Asked Questions
Q1. Why become Registered?
Q2. Why is credibility an issue?
Q3. How does registration increase
my credibility as a nutrition professional?
Q4. How will registration be
recognized by other health professionals or clients?
Q5. Why is gaining the recognition
of the insurance industry important?
Q6. What is the cost of Registration?
Q7. Can I be registered without
a college degree?
Q8. What evidence of registration
will I obtain?
Q9. Will NANP provide preparation
for the exam?
Q10. Are there Continuing Education
requirements for Registration?
Q11. Will registration be a requirement
for nutrition professionals in California (or
any other state) to become licensed?
Q1. Why become Registered?
As a Registered Nutrition Professional you
will have the benefits of:
· Added credibility by indicating to
others that you have met and continue to meet
all the educational and ethical standards required
by a professional governing organization (the
NANP)
· Assurance for the public, insurance
companies, medical community and other complementary
practitioners that you conduct your business
in accordance with the legal and professional
standards of conduct.
· Documentation and Validation of your
educational and professional qualifications.
A certificate suitable for framing will be issued
to signify that you are a member in good standing
and have met NANP registration requirements.
· An organized professional body of peers
that govern the nutritional consulting profession
through the establishment of educational standards,
scope of practice, legislative advocacy, and
continuing education requirements that will
be recognized by the public, health plans, the
government and the greater health care community
as a group of qualified, ethical and professional
holistic practitioners.
Q2. Why is credibility
an issue?
There are a number of schools that offer similar
levels of training and education for holistic
nutrition. Each school offers it’s own
designation or title. Bauman College gives the
Nutrition Consultant designation, while AHSU
gives the CN designation, and other schools
offer Certified Nutrition Therapist.
There are also programs offering certification
based on an 8-hour course. There are network
marketing companies who offer certification
based on a minimal amount of training. Such
inconsistency in titles and education make it
difficult for other health professionals and
consumers to know who is qualified to educate
consumers on nutritional matters and who is
simply selling supplements.
Becoming registered with the NANP documents
that you have a well balanced, quality education
in nutrition. But you still have to contend
with the public confusion caused by many titles
and the previous lack of nation-wide educational
standards. In addition, the insurance industry
is looking to the NANP to create standards and
scope of practice to better qualify us to offer
services reimbursable by health plans. Creating
a unified, credible holistic nutrition profession
means creating a professional governing body
that sets educational standards, defines our
role delineation/scope of practice and creates
consistency within the profession on a nation-wide
basis.
Q3. How does registration
increase my credibility as a nutrition professional?
Registration provides third party validation
that you have met educational standards appropriate
to your role delineation and scope of services
as a holistically-trained nutrition professional.
The NANP Board of Directors, which consists
of graduates from the various schools represented
by our membership, determined that registration
based on educational standards is the first
step toward creating consistency and credibility
within the profession. Registration tells people
that you have formally documented that you meet
the educational requirements for a specified
scope of nutritional practice as set by your
professional governing body.
The next step is to create our credentialing
board, which will give a board exam and confer
a uniform title/designation thus increasing
public understanding by eliminating the confusion
created by many different titles. (NOTE: The
NANP is not altering or attempting to alter
the certification process currently in place
through AHSU and/or the CN designation. This
does not change anything with regard to current
CN designation and CN’s would not be required
to take another exam to maintain their CN status.)
Q4. How will registration
be recognized by other health professionals or
clients?
Registration is an easily understood marker
of professionalism. Other health professionals
and clients will know that you are a part of
an organized and credible profession, which
says that you have proven yourself to meet the
professional standards set forth by an elected
body of your peers.
Health professionals and consumers also understand
that registration means you are accountable
to a governing body. The NANP registration process
is consistent with those of RNs, RDs and other
registered health professionals.
Q5. Why is gaining the
recognition of the insurance industry important?
The insurance industry recognizes the increasing
demand for services by complimentary & alternatively
trained nutritionists. At a minimum, the insurance
industry requires all health professions to
meet standards of organization and governing,
including established educational standards,
a system for documenting that you have met professional
standards (via exam and/or registration), a
defined role delineation or scope of services
and a code of ethics.
Q6. What is the cost
of Registration?
A professional membership ($225 annual dues)
is a pre-requisite for becoming registered ($150,
renewable bi-annually).
Q7. Can I be registered
without a college degree?
An undergraduate college degree is helpful
but not required at this time, provided you
are a graduate of a NANP approved occupational
certification program in nutrition. As a candidate
for registration you must demonstrate that you
meet the educational requirements for becoming
registered.
Q8. What evidence of
registration will I obtain?
Upon receipt of all your registration documentation,
you will receive a certificate validating your
registration with a registration number. You
are encouraged to frame this and post it in
your office. You may then also use “Registered”
after your current title. Or you may add to
your business card or stationary, “Registered
with the National Association of Nutrition Professionals”,
which tells people where to go if they want
to check your education or credentials.
When the credentialing board and exam is in
place, a more specific title/designation will
be given to members who pass the exam. At this
time, a number of titles have been suggested,
which will require a service mark from the federal
government before we can legally use it.
Q9. Will NANP provide
preparation for the exam?
Yes. The advisory council will consist of representatives
from various nutrition schools. They will be
involved in writing the exam and preparatory
course materials. At this time we are expecting
to have a preparatory manual or list of books
and tapes. Classroom prep courses may be made
available where there is a concentration of
members such as in CA or CO.
Q10. Are there Continuing
Education requirements for Registration?
Yes. When you become registered, a requirement
for maintaining your registration is that you
fulfill 30 continuing education units per two-year
period or 15 hours a year.
Q11. Will registration
be a requirement for nutrition professionals in
California (or any other state) to become licensed?
There are 2 levels of professional governance:
1) self governance, and 2) governmental regulation.
Licensing is most often a function of the government.
State licensing is a long term goal of the NANP.
A more immediate need is to create consistent
national credentials based on educational standards
and a system of documenting a person’s
qualifications and professional viability via
registration and examination for holistically-trained
nutrition professionals.
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