1. What is the refund policy for fees paid to the NTCB?
- Fees are accepted by electronic payment through the applicant portal. No cash, checks, or money orders will be accepted as payment. Fees paid by the applicant for certification, examination, and recertification are non-refundable.
2. Are therapists from other countries outside the United States allowed to apply for certification?
International applications are welcomed. Applicants from outside the United States must demonstrate education, professional certification, qualifications, and neonatal experience comparable to those required of neonatal therapists practicing in the U.S. Candidates may be responsible for coordinating verification of their credentials through their country’s appropriate credentialing body.
All application materials submitted in a language other than English must be accompanied by an official English translation. Eligibility for certification will be determined on a case-by-case basis, and international application reviews may require additional processing time.
For applicants practicing in countries that do not issue a formal professional credential, documentation must be provided outlining the standard requirements for neonatal therapy practice in that country, along with evidence of compliance with those standards for at least three years prior to application. Applicants with questions are encouraged to contact the NTCB at info@ntncb.com for further guidance.
Please note that applications cannot be accepted from countries currently subject to U.S. government sanctions. Additionally, the certification examination is administered in English only, regardless of the testing location.
3. How do I prove I have had mentoring?
A minimum of 40 hours of mentoring is required for certification. Applicants must attest to completion of this requirement by signing a statement; no additional documentation is necessary.
4. How is the professional experience requirement met if a neonatal therapist works full-time vs. part-time hours?
Hours of direct clinical practice in the NICU are calculated based on the average time worked in the NICU during a typical workweek and are not determined by billable units.
For example:
A therapist working full-time (approximately 40 hours per week) in the NICU may meet the required hours in about 1.7 years; however, a minimum of three years of practice as a credentialed professional is still required.
A therapist working part-time (approximately 20 hours per week) in the NICU may meet the requirement in approximately 3.4 years.
A therapist working an average of 10 hours per week in the NICU may require approximately 6.8 years to fulfill this requirement.
5. How do I verify my clinical practice hours?
Within the online application, applicants are required to report the number of hours worked and the corresponding dates of NICU experience. In the event of an audit, this information will be verified with the hospital(s) identified by the applicant.
6. What types of files can be uploaded to the portal?
Acceptable file formats include PDF and JPEG, unless otherwise specified on the download page. Please note that maximum file size limits may apply, which could require submitting multiple smaller files rather than a single large document.
7. Can other professionals, such as music therapists and psychologists, become Certified Neonatal Therapists®?
The CNT designation is intended for physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists. This designation is grounded in practice statements from the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), as well as the Core Scope of Practice established by the National Association of Neonatal Therapists (NANT).
The certification process evaluates the shared foundational knowledge across these disciplines, ensuring practitioners possess the competencies necessary to deliver safe and effective neonatal care.
8. Can hours from the PICU or follow-up clinic be counted toward certification?
Based on the 2019 practice analysis and thorough review, the Board approved in 2020 the inclusion of up to 1,000 hours of experience with infants under three months of age in other hospital settings or follow-up clinics toward the required hours.
9. Do I need to be a member of NANT to be eligible?
A NANT membership is not a requirement; however, membership may be desirable in order to gain access to educational opportunities, mentoring and collaboration.
10. Will attendance at journal club sessions count towards my education hours?
As of September 1, 2023, participation in a journal club that provides a certificate of attendance may be applied toward the education requirement, provided the activity occurred within three years prior to application for initial certification or within five years prior to application for recertification. Independent review of journal articles does not qualify toward this requirement.
For additional details regarding the NTCB Journal Club, please visit: https://neonataltherapycertification.com/journal-club/