CNT™ receives $1,000 bonus

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CNT™ receives $1,000 bonus

Carolyn’s Pathway to Neonatal Therapy

Carolyn Ibrahim is an Occupational Therapist (OT) and graduated in 2016. Her career began in outpatient pediatrics, where she gained invaluable experience working with children and families. After some time, Carolyn transitioned to adult acute care, which broadened her skill set and deepened her clinical understanding. Eventually, she found her true calling in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where she has been practicing for the past six years.

Carolyn currently works in a 23-bed Level III NICU located in Southern California. Her team is multidisciplinary, including occupational therapists (OTs), physical therapists (PTs), and speech-language pathologists (SLPs). They have automatic or standing therapy orders for infants born at less than 32 weeks gestation or those meeting criteria for enrollment in their high-risk follow-up clinic. In her role as a neonatal therapist, Carolyn emphasizes neuroprotective and neuropromotive interventions, ensuring that parents and caregivers are heavily involved in the therapeutic process to promote the best outcomes for the infants.

Carolyn’s Inspiration for Pursuing Neonatal Therapy Certification

Carolyn’s journey towards becoming a Certified Neonatal Therapist® (CNT™)  was inspired by her passion for providing the highest standard of care. She first learned about the certification process through the National Association of Neonatal Therapists (NANT) and their IGNITE program. 

Carolyn’s path to becoming certified involved continuous learning and professional growth. She attended numerous NANT conferences, pursued continuing education, and completed her PhD dissertation in collaboration with the NICU Therapy Lab. This extensive preparation was invaluable, and studying for the CNT™ exam confirmed how much she had learned and practiced over the years, providing a reassuring boost in confidence.

Impact of Certification

Since becoming a CNT™, she has noticed a shift in how neonatal therapy is perceived within her unit. Physicians and other team members now have a greater respect for the expertise that comes with the CNT™ credential. It has reinforced her knowledge and allowed her to advocate more effectively for the best practices and policies that promote neonatal health and development.

Support and Recognition

Advocating for support to obtain the Certified Neonatal Therapist® credential from her employer   was a critical part of her certification journey. Before taking the CNT™ exam, she applied for the certification to be included in her hospital’s list of approved certifications eligible for a bonus. Her manager and director supported her request, which led to HR approving it without issue. Upon passing the exam, Carolyn received a $1,000 bonus, and there is a smaller bonus available when it becomes time to recertify.

Having the CNT™ credential has affirmed for Carolyn that neonatal therapy is a specialized and advanced practice area, comparable to other specialty fields like hand therapy or lymphedema care. This credential underscores the importance of high-quality care for infants and families and elevates the standard of practice.

Advice for Aspiring CNTs™

For those considering becoming a Certified Neonatal Therapist™, know that the journey is rewarding and impactful. Achieving this certification has provided Carolyn with a confidence boost that enables her to speak up and suggest modifications to policies or procedures that enhance the health and development of neonates. It is a significant step towards professional growth and better care for some of the most vulnerable patients.

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Testimonials

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

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 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
“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
Heidi Stubb
OT, 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 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
Vanessa Nimon
PT, 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 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
“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

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