CNTs Identify the Value of Neonatal Therapy Certification

Home
CNTs Identify the Value of Neonatal Therapy Certification

“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead

Almost five years ago the Neonatal Therapy Certification Board (NTCB) opened applications for certification, and a group of approximately 70 neonatal therapists set out to pave a new pathway! They were trendsetters and set a new bar for excellence in care for the smallest and most vulnerable of patients. There are now more than 700 Certified Neonatal Therapists (CNTs) across the globe. CNTs are making a name for themselves and setting high expectations for evidence-based practice in the NICU.

We asked CNTs why they got certified and what the value of certification is for a neonatal therapist? 

Leadership, research, mentorship, respect from others on the team, and confidence in one’s clinical practice were resounding responses!

“I feel like the other members on my team look to me for the most current treatment methods and research because I am a CNT. I am also on a clinical track through my healthcare company to become a trainer for new therapists in the NICU.” – Nicki Marshall Barrett MS, CCC-SLP, CNT

CNTs-Identify

“In 25 years I have had to justify my job at least 7 times! Neonatal therapists are here to stay! The CNT gives us the power behind the work we have known to be truth for so many years. CNTs are part of a group that is evidence-based strong!” – Lisa Chiburis Bader OTR/L, CEIM, CNT

With an ongoing commitment to competence throughout your career, the NTCB has worked tirelessly to create a pathway to certification. As new evidence emerges, however, practices change rapidly. Therefore, recertifying every 5 years ensures the CNT has updated knowledge needed to provide the best evidence-based care for infants and families in the NICU.

The CNT designation adds credibility and value to the role of the neonatal therapist and highlights the benefits of therapeutic interventions for high-risk neonates. 

“Neonatal therapy certification not only provides a means to educate others about your skill set, but helps you validate your own knowledge base and understanding compared to others. Sometimes we forget the value of the knowledge we hold.” – Jennifer Hendrikse MS, OTR, CNT, CLC

If you were one of the very first neonatal therapists to be acknowledged for your expertise and dedication to neonates and their families by achieving neonatal therapy certification in 2017, it is time to recertify in 2022! 

Here is what you need: 

  • Within the past 5 years, demonstrate 2000 hours of NICU-related practice (which can include leadership activities related to the NICU) in addition to 60 hours of NICU-related education OR
  • retake the current version of the Neonatal Therapy Certification Exam

More information can be found on the NTCB website: https://neonataltherapycertification.com/certification/recertification/

Recertify and continue to be an inspirational beacon of light in the world of neonatal care!

“Thank you for advancing our credibility in the NICU community! It was a bonus in our recent NICU accreditation survey when I reported that all therapists serving infants and families in the NICU were CNTs.” – Korilynn Snow PT, DPT, CLC, CNT

"

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
“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 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
“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
“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 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
“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
“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
“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

Navigation

Contact

Social

Facebook-f Twitter Linkedin Instagram

Useful Links

Login

Search

Copyright ©2024 Neonatal Therapy Certification Board. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy
Designed by RSNL Creative