The Nurse Oncology Education Program, or NOEP, is helping one of the unhealthiest populations in the U.S. – nurses – track and change seven cancer-related health behaviors: fruit and vegetable consumption, red meat consumption, tobacco use, sugary-beverage consumption, screen time, physical activity, and alcohol consumption. The program – AvidNurse Tracker– released about seven months ago, and as a user myself, it’s clear the free service is picking up new, engaged users. It is definitely a fun accountability tool nurses can easily utilize.

A visual explanation of AvidNurse Tracker from NOEP's home page, www.noep.org.

Primarily focused on Texas nurses, nurses from anywhere in the world can create a free account and immediately start tracking health behaviors, including weekly weight and BMI changes. Users earn points and electronic trophies for tracking health behaviors, entering weekly weights, participating in fun, weekly polls, and referring Texas nurses to the program. AvidNurse Tracker provides immediate feedback and encouragement on progress, and users’ points give them the same number of entries into the monthly random drawing for sweet little prizes like mini-fridges and DVD players (to watch and conduct at-home fitness programs, of course). I’ve heard that larger prizes and a mobile version of AvidNurse Tracker are in the works. Very, very cool.

Full Disclosure: I am a former NOEP team member, and I helped develop AvidNurse Tracker. Due to my own struggles with getting and staying fit, I still use AvidNurse Tracker daily. I did not receive money for this post; my opinions are my own.