Care of the Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonate — Requirements & Free Practice
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Care of the Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonate
NCC multidisciplinary subspecialty certification for licensed health care professionals caring for extremely low birth weight neonates; certification carries no licensing authority.
Licensing authority: National Certification Corporation · Application information
Initial by examination
- Application
- Online applications accepted on demand without an application deadline; approval may take up to two weeks. Testing occurs in a personal 90-day window beginning when eligibility is determined; exact dates are in the eligibility letter. Schedule within the first 30 days for a test within that window. The candidate must receive the eligibility letter before scheduling.
- Award
- Successful completion of this examination entitles the candidate to use C-ELBW; certification is awarded for three years and its individual effective date is the date on the official passing score report. That individual award date does not establish the credential program or route inception date.
- Delivery
- Computer test center or live remote proctoring via PSI; minimum scheduling lead time is four business days for a test center and two business days for live remote proctoring, as differentiated in the linked Testing Guide. The generic four-business-day wording on the exam detail page is qualified by that mode-specific guide and the Methods of testing page. Candidates selecting remote testing must test their computer before scheduling.
- Eligibility
- All criteria must be met at application: current, active, unencumbered U.S. or Canadian licensure as physician (MD/DO), registered nurse, advanced practice registered nurse (NNP, CNS), physician assistant, respiratory therapist, neonatal therapist (OT, PT, SLP), neonatal dietitian, neonatal pharmacist, or paramedic; upload license or verification with name, number, licensing state/province, type, expiration. No practice experience is required; one year caring for extremely low birth weight infants is recommended. No additional degree or educational prerequisite is stated in the ELBW eligibility criteria; the professional licensure qualifications remain required.
- Scope
- Initial certification only. C-NNIC, C-RHI and C-OBE are not prerequisite examination leaves; relevant clinical concepts remain within this examination's own published outline.
- Source Claim Ids
- ["elbw-route-340acd46","elbw-registration-340acd46","elbw-authority-340acd46"]
Care of the Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonate examination
- Provider
- National Certification Corporation; PSI provides examination delivery.
- Format
- Computer-delivered multiple-choice examination; each item has three answer options and one correct answer. Test center and live remote proctoring are available.
- Exam questions
- Total questions: 125; Scored questions: 100; Unscored questions: 25; The total includes the scored and unscored questions.
- Time limit
- 2 hours
- Passing score
- Criterion-referenced ability standard; no fixed percentage passing level.
- Exam fee
- USD 210 including the non-refundable USD 50 application fee.
Examination outline
General Assessment and Management (30%)
- Physical, Gestational Age, Behavioral and Neurologic Assessment
- Delivery Room Management, Stabilization and Transition
- Transport/Transfer
- Thermoregulation
- Fluid and Electrolytes
- Nutrition and Feeding
- Respiratory Management/Oxygenation
- Skin Care
- Infection Risks
Developmental Care (16%)
- Neurodevelopment
- Impact of NICU Environment
- Neuroprotective Intentional Caregiving and Promotion of Self-regulation
- Neurobehavioral Alterations and Responses
- Stress and Pain Assessment and Management
Describe & Manage Pathophysiologic States (41%)
- Antenatal Risk Factors, Obstetric Emergencies, and Perinatal Management Strategies that Impact ELBW Neonates
- Cardiac
- Respiratory
- GI/GU
- Hematopoietic
- Infection
- Metabolic/Endocrine/Genetic
- Neurologic, Integumentary, and Musculoskeletal
- Renal
- Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose and Throat
- Pharmacology and Pharmacologic Interventions
Psychosocial, Ethical, and Professional Issues and Outcomes with ELBW Neonates and Families (13%)
- Family-Centered Care and Integration
- Trauma Informed Care/Parental Coping and Grieving Process
- End of Life Care/Palliative Care, Viability, and Legal/Ethical Issues
- Discharge Planning, Teaching and Follow up
- Risks for motor, cognitive, language delays and expected milestones
- Professional Practice and Team Communication
Examination sources
- NCC current ELBW examination page
linked Candidate Guide, Registration Catalog and recommendation
- NCC ELBW Candidate Guide
p. 1, About This Guide
- NCC ELBW Candidate Guide
p. 8, Exam Outline control statement; complete outline, competencies and details pp. 7-15
- NCC ELBW Registration Catalog
p. 15, Content Outline for ELBW Exam and How to Study
- NCC ELBW Candidate Guide
p. 6, Exam Format
- NCC ELBW Candidate Guide
p. 6, question format and timed examination
- NCC ELBW Candidate Guide
p. 18, How Exams Are Scored
- NCC current ELBW examination page
Testing
- NCC ELBW Registration Catalog
p. 3, Eligibility Criteria
- NCC ELBW Registration Catalog
p. 3, Practice Experience and eligibility timing
- NCC ELBW Registration Catalog
p. 7, Notification of eligibility to take the exam
- NCC Guide to Testing Methods
p. 3, Computer Testing / Schedule Your Exam
- NCC Methods of testing
When and how can I apply?
- NCC current ELBW examination page
Details for Computer Testing and delivery introduction
- NCC Guide to Testing Methods
p. 3, Computer Testing / test-center scheduling lead time