About NTMC

About NTMC

OUR MISSION: To improve the lives of babies and families through touch and massage.

OUR VISION: To have 95% of touch in the NICU be intentionally comforting.

We owe it to babies and families to touch not just with our hands, but also with our hearts during every neonatal interaction. Reportedly 95% of touch in the NICU is not intentionally comforting.  This study led me to develop NTMC with a clear vision to reverse this for babies and families. —

Kara Ann Waitzman, OTR/L, CNT, NTMTC | President, Creative Therapy Consultants
Founder, Neonatal Touch & Massage Certification

Neonatal Touch & Massage Certification®

Neonatal Touch & Massage Certification® (NTMC) is an exclusively neonatal, advanced, one-of-a-kind certification for neonatal healthcare providers. NTMC™ combines a holistic, neonatal and systems theory approach to massage, with an emphasis on families and nurturing opportunities, while elevating the standard of care that neonatal caregivers provide in their daily practice.

The Certification has been developed with a 3-fold purpose: to help NICU babies, families, and staff. It’s all about maximizing positive long-term development of the infant and giving families the opportunity and tools to bond with their infant.

NTMC includes both On-Line Education and Hands-On Training along with over 25 contact hours, professional credentials, and expertise in Neuroprotective, Family-Centered, Developmental Care.

You Will Learn How To:

FAQs

What is Neonatal Touch & Massage Certification (NTMC)™?

Neonatal Touch & Massage Certification is an exclusively neonatal, one of a kind certification for neonatal healthcare providers! It includes current literature through On-Line and Hands-On training, and is clinically applicable for daily caregiving in the NICU. NTMC has been developed with a threefold purpose:

1. Support NICU Infants:

Neonates often experience an overbalance of medical and procedural touch in the NICU, and have a greater risk of developmental issues. This certification will re-set the scales to balance out this negative touch with intentional, positive, nurturing touch to optimize the long-term development of infants.

Curriculum includes, but is not limited to:

  • Skin, Touch and Neonatal Massage Literature
  • Brain and Sensory Development
  • Trauma Informed Care and Als’ Synactive Theory
  • Infant-Driven Caregiving
  • Importance of Sleep for Development
  • Lymphatic System
  • Respiratory System
  • Impact of Pain and Stress on Development
  • Myofascial System
  • Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

NTMC supports infants

2. Support NICU Families:

Families in the NICU ache to touch and hold their son or daughter. This certification will raise NICU caregiver’s awareness and skill to provide families with opportunities to parent their infant through touch and massage in the NICU and beyond.

Curriculum includes, but is not limited to:

  • Family Integrated Care Principles
  • Using Green Products in the NICU and Beyond
  • Maternal Administered Infant Massage
  • Swaddled Bathing
  • Skin-to-Skin Holding
  • Parent Support Resources for PTSD and ASD

Likewise, staff will obtain an advanced certification, professional credentials, contact hours, and become an expert in Neuroprotective, Family-Integrated, Developmental Care.

NTMC supports NICU families

3. Support NICU Staff:

Neonatal healthcare providers are not always equipped with the knowledge, skill, and practice to implement touch and massage into their daily caregiving activities. This certification will provide the lessons and tools to do just that!

Curriculum includes, but is not limited to:

  • Impact of Massage on Growth and Development
  • Therapeutic Positioning & Handling
  • Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT) Principals
  • Lymphatic Drainage
  • Myofascial Trigger Point Releases
  • Neonatal Massage Techniques
  • Anatomy: Muscles, Bones, and Ligaments
  • Handling, Bathing, Procedures, Skin-to-Skin
  • Positioning Effects on Respiratory System

NTMC supports NICU staff

How is this certification different from other Infant Massage Certifications?
The nature of the NICU: complex medical status, brain maturation, development status, and parental stress-is no comparison to infants outside of the hospital setting.  NTMC was designed exclusively by and for neonatal professionals with vastly different goals, approach, practice, and education than infant massage.

What are the benefits of becoming certified in NTMC?
  • Earn credentials for your professional signature! NTMTC for Therapists and NTMNC for Nurses
  • Raise your understanding of the latest research on touch and massage in the neonatal population
  • Have the opportunity to learn from experts throughout the United States and Canada
  • Learn from the experts who are actually completing and publishing research in neonatal care
  • Increase your knowledge of neonatal and infant development
  • Enhance your skill with daily caregiving and handling activities
  • Learn specific touch and massage techniques to maximize sleep, comfort and neurodevelopment
  • Sharpen your observation and assessment skills
  • Obtain an advanced practice certification in the highly specialized field of neonatal care
  • Earn an NTMC Pin to highlight your expertise in neuroprotective, family-centered, developmental care

What benefits does NTMC offer for babies and families?

Babies benefit when their NTMC professional improve the baby’s movement, alignment, comfort, level of stress, and sleep through touch, massage, 2-person caregiving, proper handling and positioning,

Families benefit when their baby’s NTMC professional teach them how to provide massage, skin-to-skin holding, swaddled bathing, and positive touch. Learning these caregiver activities improves the parent’s confidence and independence in parenting, improves infant-parent attachment and reduces parenting stress while improving the neurodevelopmental outcomes of the babies.

benefits for babies and families

dad massage

Where will I complete the Hands-On Training?
What is the difference between a Hands-On Training in person vs virtual?

Very little is different between the two trainings! The learning objectives, content, instruction, CEUs, professional credentials, and expertise in neuroprotective, developmental, family-centered care are identical for both trainings. Both are ‘live’ and thus are able to have discussions, answer questions, demonstrate techniques, and see you perform these techniques in both trainings. This includes 1:1 feedback to improve hands-on skills in neonatal massage, swaddled bathing, skin-to-skin transfers, therapeutic handling & positioning, and myofascial trigger point releases (therapists only), and so much more! Whether you choose to attend in person or virtual, your clinical practice will grow with NTMC.

How do I become Neonatal Touch & Massage Certified?

The process has three phases:

Phase I Application and Registration

  • Complete and submit the application, including a copy of your current license, and the validation form verifying 1000 hours worked in the NICU or SCN.
  • Once accepted, you will register and receive an NTMC login and instructions on how to proceed to Phase II.

Phase II Neonatal On-Line Education

  • Complete all On-Line Educational webinars (at your convenience) provided by experts from the United States and Canada.
  • Complete and pass (>80%) the short test after each webinar.
  • Complete course evaluation.
  • Obtain contact hours for the On-Line Education

Phase III Hands-On Training (offered both In-Person and Virtual)

  • Attend one day (Nurses) or two days (Therapists) of Hands-On Training.
  • Complete and pass (>80%) the final exam, which includes video analysis.
  • Complete course evaluation.
  • Obtain contact hours for the one or two days of Hands-On Training
  • Earn Professional Credentials: NTMNC (Nurses) or NTMTC (Therapists)
Are there any scholarships available for NTMC?

Pampers Professional is proud to support Creative Therapy Consultants’ vision to improve the lives of NICU babies and families through healthcare provider education and skill development. Pampers is providing -In-Kind support by funding two scholarships for each of CTC’s Neonatal Touch & Massage Certifications (NTMC®).  A NTMC Hosting Scholarship is available for one professional from the NTMC Hosting Site and a Surprise & Delight Scholarship is available to an NTMC Candidate who is self pay.  Pampers has no input into the planning, delivery, content or evaluation of NTMC. Click here for more information on the scholarship and eligibility criteria.

How can I host NTMC at my Facility?

It’s simple! Creative Therapy Consultants does most of the work for you.  You only need to have 10 staff from your facility attend (any combination of neonatal RNs, OTs, PTs, SLPs) and provide the room, data projector/screen, along with a light breakfast.  We provide everything else, including marketing, binders with handouts, dolls for lab, instructors, brochures, contact hours, credentials, and certificates!  Click HERE to learn more and download a document or simply send us an email to set up a time do discuss your options further!

Neonatal Touch & Massage Certification Details

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