Turning Challenges into Opportunities: Expansion of the Number of CNTs Across the Providence Health System

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Turning Challenges into Opportunities: Expansion of the Number of CNTs Across the Providence Health System
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“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” – Henry Ford.

The COVID-19 pandemic left many of us feeling alone, isolated, and disconnected. This happened during a time that forced us to adjust to the unexpected turn of events and changes in our daily lives. However, some teams were able to seize opportunities that may not have existed under different circumstances. During this difficult time, a group of therapists came together and set out to turn challenges into opportunities. Ashleigh Connell (MA, CCC-SLP, CNT), Kayla Fleming (MS, CCC-SLP), Torri Reichman (OTR/L, DOT, CNT), Taylour Vigna (MA, CCC-SLP), and Stephanie Williams (PT, DPT, CNT) share with us how they became Certified Neonatal Therapists (CNTs) during a worldwide pandemic and give their insights into the benefits of pursuing certification together. 

Ashleigh, Kayla, Torri, Taylour, and Stephanie are part of the multidisciplinary therapy team at two sister hospitals in Portland, Oregon. Providence St. Vincent Medical Center is a 40-bed, Level III NICU with three speech-language pathologists, two occupational therapists, and two physical therapists. Providence Portland Medical Center is a Level III NICU with 20 beds and is covered by one speech-language pathologist, one occupational therapist, and one physical therapist. 

Board certification in neonatal therapy has always been among their professional interests. For Stephanie, the journey to becoming a CNT organically accompanied her journey in the NICU. She first learned about becoming a CNT when the certification process was launched in 2016. As she gained experience as a neonatal therapist over the years, her interest in becoming a CNT grew even more, and she soon found herself ready to apply. In fact, Stephanie had not only built expertise in neonatal practice through years of dedication for excellence but was also surrounded by a like-minded group of individuals. There were two other highly experienced CNTs in her NICU who provided training and mentoring and cheered her down the pathway to becoming a CNT. In addition, there were several other members of her team who were also interested in pursuing CNT credentialing. Limitations on travel for continuing education provided opportunities for financial support for certification. So, without further ado, Stephanie took action. 

“We have a robust team with lots of different experiences. So, I immediately thought it would be more fun to study together and keep each other accountable. It started with just a few of us and quickly grew!” – Stephanie Williams, PT, DPT, CNT.

The NTCB applauds this group of therapists who worked together to make CNT status a reality.  A group of five therapists (from three different disciplines and from 2 NICUs) embarked on the journey together.

When asked about the benefit of pursuing certification as a group, their answer was ‘accountability’. They identified that everything that went into prepping for neonatal therapy certification applied and translated to what they do on a day-to-day basis. Immersing in current evidence related to NICU practice also strengthened the use of evidence-based practice.

“Preparing as a group kept me accountable to spacing out studying over several months. I appreciated the different perspectives each discipline contributed to our discussions of the journal articles.” Ashleigh Connell, MA, CCC-CLP, CNT

The process toward CNT status was not all easy, of course. Even though they worked together to prepare for the exam, finding time to meet was a challenge. However, they set up a virtual meeting 1x per week for 1 hour and found that this was great for accountability and keeping them on track! To prep for the exam, the group primarily utilized articles from the resource guide provided by the NTCB. They dug a little deeper to find resources to strengthen their knowledge in the area of feeding.

“It was valuable to have each discipline involved in the study group since we identified different questions and pulled different information based on our backgrounds. It was also a great opportunity to talk through our knowledge base and gain confidence in the skills we already had. And of course, it made studying more fun!”-Torri Becker Reichman, OTD, OTR/L, CNT, CLE.

Approaching the certification as a multidisciplinary team came with huge benefits! Since they came from three different disciplines, they each brought a unique perspective to each subject area. This helped them with exam prep and created an opportunity to help each other grow as clinicians. 

“I think finding a multidisciplinary group is a huge benefit. Even if you aren’t all from one hospital, you will learn a lot from each other.”- Stephanie Williams, PT, DPT, CNT.

“I really appreciated the accountability of studying with a group. Having set days with topics was helpful for my learning. It was also great having multiple disciplines to share their expertise. I think individual learning styles can be very different, so studying as a group made learning more accessible (in my mind) because you had different people presenting the information.” – Kayla Fleming, MS, CCC-SLP.

The two Providence Health Medical Centers that this group of CNTs provides care for fragile babies and families at now have 7 CNTs on their team. Welcome to the CNT community, and thank you for sharing with us the power of coming together—in a shared commitment to serving high-risk infants in the NICU. Further, thank you for turning challenges during a pandemic into opportunities. The babies and families that you share your expertise with thank you! 

We look forward to seeing your team’s applications this cycle. When 2 or more therapists apply together, they each receive a discount of $50 off the exam.  Join the growing number of CNTs and start your application at www.neonataltherapycertification.com

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Testimonials

See what others have to say about their experience with us!

Heidi Stubb
OT, CNT
Before the exam:
“The Neonatal Therapy Certification process has made me a more well rounded developmental care specialist. It has forced me to step out of my feeding/dysphagia bubble and I have been able to apply my new knowledge every time I interact with a baby and their caregivers.”

After the exam:
“The test was a challenging yet fair representation of what an advanced NICU therapist should know. I strongly encourage every NICU therapist to pursue certification. You owe it to your patients to be the best therapist you can be!”
Chelsea Moss
MA, CCC-SLP, IBCLC, CNT
“I feel like I come to the NICU with a wider breadth of knowledge and appreciation for all the aspects of developmental care.”
Julie Ecclestone
MA, CCC-SLP, CNT
“I have spent many days fighting for respect and proving myself to other professionals in the NICU. Earning the title of Certified Neonatal Therapist has helped minimize that fight.”
Casey Manning
M.S. CCC-SLP, CNT, NTMTC
Vanessa Nimon
PT, CNT
“I was so worried that I would fail the exam (and be embarrassed) that I did not tell my boss I was taking it. Then I took it and found out right away that I aced the exam.It helped me be more confident in myself as a clinician. Reading the literature that was provided was great in helping me prepare and helped me understand what parts of my practice are evidence based.”
Ruth Wilkerson
OTR, CLC, NTMC, CNT
“The process of preparing for the neonatal therapy certification exam was as beneficial as taking the examination because of the knowledge gained. The resource list is invaluable and I refer to it almost daily.”
Lauren Adams
PT, PCS, CNT
“As a new therapist, I was passionate about achieving certification to demonstrate competence and promote our profession as an advanced area of practice. Following extensive mentorship in the NICU, and after meeting the minimum requirements for certification, I became a certified neonatal therapist! I am thrilled to be a part of a growing profession who now has a successful pathway for developing competency that will continue to establish our profession as an essential component of NICU care.”
Lisa Olsen
OTDR/L, CNT
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to become a Certified Neonatal Therapist (CNT) in 2018, through the Neonatal Therapy Certification Board (NTCB).I believe this qualification is very relevant to practice in the United Kingdom (UK) as it helps raise the profile of neonatal therapy and also promotes a core knowledge base and practice. I truly believe that all neonatal therapists should have the same theory and knowledge base when working with this high-risk population, their intervention and level of involvement for each patient may well be slightly different. The certification process requires collaborative working. I am extremely fortunate in my setting to have a speech and language therapist who was prepared to relentlessly ask me questions on neonatal feeding, until she felt I was competent enough to the take the exam. I hope that more neonatal therapists in the UK consider taking this examination, the more people who talk about neonatal therapy, the louder our voices will be. I hope that one day every family and their baby who enter the neonatal unit continue to have access to good medical and nursing care, but also have access to all neonatal therapy; occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy. I hope that every therapy discipline has the credentials to highlight their specialty and knowledge and that no family is asked to choose between receiving occupational therapy or physiotherapy or speech and language therapy again. I believe that becoming certified in neonatal therapy is definitely a step in the right direction.”
Emily Hills
OT, MSc, CNT, NTMC
“I pursued the Certified Neonatal Therapist Certification because working with infants in the NICU is a passion of mine. It has grown exponentially through the years and I felt the time was right to prove to myself, my team, and my management staff that I had the skills and competency to lead in the NICU.”
Cameron Harris
OTR/L, NTMTC, CNT
“As a speech pathologist in the NICU, I was initially hesitant to become a CNT because I thought it would be more geared towards OT/PT studies. What I learned in my journey towards the certification is that everyone who comes in contact with an infant in the NICU benefits from the complex knowledge of neuro development. A different mindset, apart from simply “safe feeding” engulfed my daily practice. My OT coworker (and also CNT) and I began to tag-team ways to incorporate gentle, kind touch into each interaction with the infants. Often our efforts “rubbed off” on other coworkers and parents. My feeding skills have been enhanced by my all-in focus when encountering each baby. It’s not just safe feeding with no aspiration, it’s enjoyable experiences at each feeding time, whether bottle feeding or tube feeding. It’s preventing severe oral aversions in complex cases instead of undoing negative feeding experiences for years to come. I am a better therapist because of my studies to become a CNT.”
Cynthia Armstrong
M.S., CCC-SLP, BCS-S, CNT

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