NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner (AANP)

182. Exposome-Informed Care for Firefighters

Over one million firefighters provide their life-saving services in the U.S today. Treating firefighters requires an awareness of the unique stressors they face, including cardiopulmonary risk, “invisible” exposures and more. To speak more about exposome-informed screening and treatment are nurse practitioner experts Mary Fox and Julian Gallegos. They use their unique expertise — including Gallegos’ work as a firefighter and Fox's experience as Occupational and Environmental Health Community co-chair  — to bring the challenges of caring for this important population to life.  

181. The Truth About Teen Vaping and Substance Use: Round Up on Adolescent Health PT5 (CE)

In this episode, Unfiltered — The Truth About Teen Vaping and Substance Use: Round Up on Adolescent Health PT5, we explore the realities of teen vaping, substance use and why both remain a critical issue for clinicians and caregivers. While youth vaping rates have slightly declined, it is still the most common form of tobacco use among adolescents, with evolving products and social influences making prevention and intervention increasingly complex. This conversation dives into the science behind adolescent risk-taking; the powerful influence of marketing and social media; and the neurological factors that make teens particularly vulnerable to substance use. Most importantly, the episode highlights how nurse practitioners can identify early warning signs, start meaningful conversations with teens and support healthier coping strategies.

180. Healthy Gut, Healthy Menopause

Today’s guest on NP Pulse is Donna Willenbrock, an obesity specialist and expert in nutrition. Willenbrock begins by discussing the many connections between a healthy gut and a healthy menopause, and then guides us through hot topics related to staying well at any age — including hydration, physical activity and the many benefits of foods like raw broccoli and even dark chocolate. 

179. Beyond Burnout: Recognizing Hypercortisolism

Experts in hypercortisolism and clinicians curious to learn more will find today’s episode of NP Pulse both enriching and relevant. Kathleen “KC” Arnold and Breanna Shenk join the podcast to explore how hypercortisolism manifests and share what NPs should always keep in mind when it comes to the disorder.

This podcast is made possible by Corcept Therapeutics.

178. Navigating Dementia

Robin Arends returns to NP Pulse to speak about an important topic: navigating dementia care. Arends discusses when to start screening patients for dementia, details the different types of dementia and offers suggestions to help older patients stay mentally active.

177. Stigma in OUD: Two Perspectives, One Truth (CE)

In this episode, Dr. Marissa Abram and Theodore Hudson explore how stigma around substance use disorder shows up in everyday interactions — and how those moments can either reinforce shame or support recovery. The podcast highlights the need for health care providers to model healthy relationships, engage with curiosity and foster an environment of hope and support for individuals navigating recovery.

 

Objectives:

• Identify at least one way stigma related to substance use disorder can manifest in clinical relationships.

• Explain how everyday clinical interactions can influence recovery for people with substance use disorder.

• Describe two practical strategies clinicians can use to reduce shame and support autonomy in brief or high-pressure encounters.

A participation code will be provided at the end of the podcast — make sure to write this code down. Once you have listened to the podcast and have the participation code, return to this activity in the [link to activity in CE Center]. Click on the "Next Steps" button of the activity and:

1. Enter the participation code that was provided.

2. Complete the posttest.

3. Complete the activity evaluation.

This will award your continuing education (CE) credit and certificate of completion.

0.83 of CE will be available through March 31, 2027

Funder statement: This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from the Opioid Analgesics REMS Program Companies (RPC).

176. The Hidden Burden: Understanding Food Allergies and Their Impact (CE)

In this episode of NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®️, Drs. Erin Sinnaeve and Julianne Doucette discuss immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergies, current prevention strategies, diagnostic best-practices and evolving treatment options — including early allergen introduction, oral immunotherapy and biologic therapies — to support safe, evidence-based care.  

Upon successful completion of this podcast, you will be able to: 

• Review the pathophysiology and subsequent patient journey associated with IgE-mediated food allergies.   

• Evaluate the trial data and practice-changing potential of monoclonal antibodies in a new era of food allergy management.   

• Develop evidence-driven care plans focused on mitigating patient and caregiver burden, and safely and effectively reducing IgE-mediated reactions in patients with food allergies.   

A participation code will be provided at the END of the podcast — make sure to write this code down. Once you have listened to the podcast and have the participation code, return to this activity in the AANP CE Center and follow these steps: 

1. Register for this activity. 

2. Click on the "Next Steps" button. 

3. Enter the participation code that was provided. 

4. Complete the activity evaluation. 

This will award your continuing education (CE) credit and certificate of completion. 

1.25 CE will be available through March 31, 2027. 

Listeners are encouraged to explore the accompanying food allergy point-of-care tool to support clinical decision-making. 

 The Hidden Burden: Understanding Food Allergies and Their Impact

This podcast is supported by an education grant from Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. 

Special Announcement: Thank You for One Million Downloads

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) is proud to announce that AANP’s official podcast, NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®, has just surpassed one million downloads!

Thank you for supporting this program across nearly 200 episodes. Whether you’re looking for discussions around the most important nurse practitioner (NP) topics, in-depth conversations with NPs or free continuing education (CE) credit from our accredited podcasts, we are proud to serve you as The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®.

175. Investigating the Role of BMI in Health Care

Robin Beach is an HIV specialist who began to turn a critical eye to the usefulness of body mass index (BMI) when it came to understanding the overall health of a patient. On the latest episode of NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®, she speaks with Sophia Thomas about using waist circumference as a way to measure the health of specific patient populations instead of BMI, and offers practical strategies for bringing this new tool into routine practice. 

174. A Community Coalition Approach to Depression Care for Adults

In this episode of NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®️, Dr. Kenneth Wells, Dr. Bowen Chung and Felica Jones will discuss the role of primary care providers in a collaborative care approach to depression treatment for adults living in under-resourced communities. Learn more about their research by reading the A Community-Partnered, Participatory, Cluster-Randomized Study of Depression Care Quality Improvement: Three-Year Outcomes study.

Upon successful completion of this podcast, you will be able to:

• Define under-resourced communities and collaborative care.
• Compare using a coalition approach to a traditional technical assistance program for serving adults with depression.
• Discuss how to engage patients as partners in research.

This episode was developed as part of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners’® (AANP) Clinical Effectiveness Research Initiative, which is funded by a Eugene Washington Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Engagement Award (EADI #35224). 

A participation code will be provided at the END of the podcast — make sure to write this code down. Once you have listened to the podcast and have the participation code, return to this activity in the AANP CE Center and follow these steps:

1. Register for this activity.
2. Click on the "Next Steps" button.
3. Enter the participation code that was provided.
4. Complete the activity evaluation.

This will award your continuing education (CE) credit and certificate of completion. 0.75 CE will be available through Feb. 29, 2028. 

Please see below for links to resources that the speakers mentioned in the episode.

• Community Partners in Care (CPIC): Learn more about this collaborative research project of community and academic partners working together to provide depression-related services to under-resourced communities.
• Depression Toolkit Resources: This toolkit contains a screening instrument, care management forms, cognitive behavioral therapy resources and educational videos.
• Together for Wellness: A collection of mental health and wellness resources for youth and their parents and caregivers that is available in English and Spanish.