As you probably already know, the NCC guidelines for the certified neonatal nurse practitioner have been recently changed. What does this mean for you as a certified NNP? We’ll outline it for you here, and provide you with the resources to learn more.
Firstly, once you have passed the NNP exam, you don’t need to take it again. However, to maintain your certification, you must complete your continuing education courses, or CEUs, during every three-year ‘maintenance cycle’. This is where the new guidelines come in.
The new guidelines for the NCC exam will come into effect in two stages, and we’re actually in the middle of the first stage already.
Stage 1: June 2010-December 2013
At this point, the assessment is still optional but highly encouraged. The certification requirements have not changed yet either. Forty-five hours of CEUs are still necessary to maintain certification in each category.
Stage 2: January 1, 2014
As of January 1, 2014, specialty assessments are now required (at no additional cost). The results of the specialty assessment won’t cause you to lose your certification, but they will have a direct impact on how many hours of CEUs you need to take to maintain your certification.
The NCC identifies the purpose of the assessment as
to identify your specific educational gaps so that you can supplement them with CEUs through a learning plan
This means you won’t have to re-take the entire exam, only the categories in which you are deficient.
What happens if I get a low score?
If you score below a 7.5 in any category, additional CEUs are required in that category to maintain your licensing. Find out more by visiting the NCC website here.
Re-cap
You don’t HAVE to take the assessment. If you opt not to, you are required to do all 45 CEUs as opposed to just taking what you “need” based on the assessment. It is also very important to make sure and do the “assessment” prior to taking any CEU courses so that they will count as you have to have done the assessment first.
More questions?
The NCC has comprehensive information on the new guidelines for NNPs. You can click here to read their FAQs, or visit the NCC website for complete information.
