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Nurses' Toolkit on rBGH-free Dairy
Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH), also known as recombinant Bovine Somatotropin, (rBST) is a genetically-engineered growth hormone that is injected into cows on 10 – 15% of the U.S. dairy farms to increase their milk production. Use of rBGH increases disease rates in cows and creates the potential for human health risks. Nurses have an opportunity to help eliminate this practice by encouraging their hospitals (and nursing homes and schools) to purchase dairy products from companies that do not use rBGH.
The American Nurses Association adopted a resolution in June 2008 calling for healthier food in health care, including the elimination of rBGH in dairy production.The ANA has also adopted the Precautionary Principle to guide nursing practice and advocacy efforts with regard to environmental health. This guiding principle calls for nurses to act on early and credible scientific warnings rather than delay action until more scientific evidence is developed. There are growing concerns that the use of rBGH poses unnecessary risks to human health.
We are calling upon the nursing profession to help eliminate the use or rBGH in the US by appealing to those who make purchasing decisions within the institutions where we work to purchase dairy products that have been produced without the use of rBGH. To this end, the virtual toolkit below has been created by nurses for nurses with factsheets, sample letters, postcards, videos and other tools for you to use to educate yourselves, your fellow nurses, your patients and your health care institutions, in particular the food service directors and hospital administrators who establish the food purchasing policies for your hospital or health care facility.
Nurses' rBGH Toolkit
 Flyer - Why Nurses are Concerned about Artificial Hormones in Dairy Products (pdf)
This one page double sided flyer is great to hand out at meetings, health fairs, and other events where nurse colleagues, hospital staff and/or the public gather. Download and make copies.
Factsheet - HCWH's statement on rBGH (pdf)
This double sided factsheet provides the scientific rationale and position on why HCWH is calling on healthcare professionals and hospital systems to stop using dairy produced with rBGH.
Brochure - Know Your Milk (pdf)
This eight page referenced brochure on rBGH produced by Oregon Physician’s for Social Responsibility is a great in-depth discussion of the various health issues associated with rBGH.
Letter to Food Service Directors (doc)
This template of a letter can be used to write to the food service director at your hospital (or nursing home or school) to ask them to purchase rBGH-free dairy products.
Article for Newsletters (doc)
This article can be published in the upcoming newsletters of the State Nurses Associations or other nursing organizations to educate nurses about the health risks of rBGH and encourage them to take action. Permission is granted for its use.
Letter to State Nurses Associations (doc)
This letter can be sent to your state nurses associations or other nursing organizations to ask them to publish the article on rBGH in dairy production and to email their nurse members about this issue. When sending this letter, include the article and the letter to food service directors above.
Email to Nurse Colleagues (doc)
This template of an email can be used by individual nurses or nursing organizations to send to other nurses, encouraging them to write to their hospital (or nursing home or school) and ask the food service director to purchase rBGH-free dairy products. You can include the template of the letter to food service directors above.
A Purchasing Guide to Sourcing Dairy Products Produced Without rBGH (pdf)
Ask your hospital or health care facility to purchase rBGH-free dairy products and join other hospitals around the country in doing so. Download or request this rBGH-free purchasing guide and share it with your purchasing department.
This letter by Catholic Healthcare West on its intention to eliminate dairy produced with rBGH is a great example when approaching your hospital food service or operations director and is an excellent template for what your hospital might do.
Educate yourself on rBGH-free dairy products by following this state-by-state listing of rBGH-free dairy products.
Video - Know Your Milk: Does It Have Artificial Hormones?
Watch and forward this video by Dr. Jenny Pompilio of Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility who discusses the harmful effects of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST) and what consumers can do to protect themselves. Show the video in your facility or have it available at health fairs.
Videos - Nurses working with Health Care Without Harm's rBGH Food Work Group have created three short videos to help nurses understand how the use of rBGH, a synthetic hormone found in dairy products, impacts human health. Nurses play an important role to protect and prevent harm to patients, health care workers and visitors. Also, the videos will help guide nurses to advocate for healthier food choices in their health care facilities.
Human and Animal Health - Part 1
Learn about the health problems associated to recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) or rBST and how to apply the Precautionary Principle and the ANA's Precautionary Approach to protect health. This clip also discusses countries where rBGH is banned.
rBGH and Nursing - Part 2
rBGH & Nursing: This clip discusses what nurses can do about synthetic hormones in dairy products. Learn about the American Nurses Association's resolution, American Medical Association's position, what you can do today, and how to engage others to promote the use of rBGH-free dairy products in your personal and professional life.
rBGH Nurse Toolkit - Part 3
rBGH - Nurse Tool Kit at http://www.noharm.org/us/nurses/rBgh will provide nurses with tools to advocate for patients, employees and visitors to have healthier food in health care facilities. Health Care Without Harm, an international coalition is transforming the health care sector to prevent harm to patients, public health and the environment.
Other Websites
Center for Food Safety
Consumers Union
Family Farm Defenders
Food and Water Watch
Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility
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