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. This certification is not just a test you study for, but a process to advance both your knowledge AND skill development in Neuroprotective, Developmental, Family-Integrated Care!
NTMC was 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 provide care for and bond with their infant.
NTMC includes both On-Line Education and Hands-On Training along with continuing education hours, professional credentials, and expertise in Neuroprotective, Developmental, Family-Integrated Care. Nurses and Therapists (OT, PT, SLP) complete the ~19 hours of On-Line Education and Day 1 of Hands-On Training, while Therapists (OT, PT, SLP) also attend the Day 2 Hands-On Training. The certification fee covers both the NTMC On-Line Education and Hands-On Training.
The Certification process has three phases:
- 1
- 2
- 3
Upon completion of all three Phases, you will receive NTMTC (therapists) or NTMNC (nurses) credentials for your professional signature and be placed in our directory of NTMC professionals!
You Will Learn How To:
NTMC Phase I: Application and Registration
- 1
Complete and submit the NTMC Application including your selection of where/when you plan to complete your Hands-On Training.
- 2
Complete and submit the NTMC Verification form verifying 1000 hours neonatal experience. If you do not have these hours, but have other relevant experience, email ntmc@neonatalcertification.com. Limited number of Waiver Applications are available for each NTMC.
- 3
Once accepted, you will receive an NTMC approval number and instructions to register and proceed to Phase II.
NTMC Phase II: On-Line Education
The NTMC On-Line Education is an advanced level course designed to further your knowledge as a nurse or therapist (OT, PT, SLP) in a vast array of neonatal topics ranging from brain and sensory development to the lymphatic system. It allows you to develop a plan of care with an understanding of developing at-risk infants, their families, and the significant impact the environment and caregiver activities have on them.
NTMC Phase III: Hands-On Training
Provided In-Person OR Virtual
The NTMC Hands-On Training is an advanced level course designed to further your skills as a nurse or therapist (OT, P, SLP) and promote the health, well-being, and development of both the infant and the infant-parent dyad. You will learn how to promote infant comfort, movement, alignment and a parasympathetic response while fostering the infant-parent relationships. Skills include integration of neonatal touch, massage, positioning, handling, myofascial trigger point release (therapists only), skin to skin holding and other neuroprotective, developmental, and family-integrated caregiving activities that you can implement the next day!
Certification Details
Who can Become Certified?
Neonatal Touch & Massage Certification is open to neonatal nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech language pathologists with a minimum of 1000 hours experience in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or Special Care Nursery. The applicant must have a valid license and be in good standing with their licensing body. A Waiver Application of the 1000 hours is available in limited quantities for each NTMC, for those with relevant clinical experience.
Credentials:
Upon completion of Neonatal Touch & Massage Certification requirements, nurses will obtain professional credentials of NTMNC® (Neonatal Touch & Massage Nurse Certified) and therapists will obtain professional credentials of NTMTC® (Neonatal Touch & Massage Therapist Certified).
These professional credentials will last 2 years, and recertification is completed every 2 years online, for a nominal fee and with no travel required. Recertification is our commitment to you to keep you an expert in this specialized neonatal area.
Fees for NTMC:
$875 Therapists; $650 Nurses.
- Fee includes On-Line Education, Hands-On Training and course materials.
- A 10% discount is offered if 3 or more candidates from one hospital apply/register and attend Phase III together.
- Therapists must complete the Two Day Hands-On Training while Nurses must only complete the One Day of Hands-On Training.
Learn specific details about each training by clicking on the location/date you are interested in attending. Keep in mind, Nurses attend Day 1 only and Therapists attend both Day 1 and Day 2.
2024 NTMC Schedule
In-Person Hands-On Training
- Tacoma, WA – May 18 & 19, 2024
Registration Opens Jan 8, 2024 - Madison, WI – Jun 7 & 8 2024
Registration Opens Feb 5, 2024 - Las Vegas, NV – Sept 20, 2024 (RNs Only)
Registration Opens May 13, 2024 - Albuquerque, NM – Oct 18 & 19, 2024
Registration Opens Jun 17, 2024
Virtual Hands-On Training
- Feb. 1 & 2, 2024 – No longer accepting applications
- Mar. 8 & 9, 2024 – Registration Open
- May 3 & 4, 2024 – Registration Opens Jan. 8, 2024
- Sep. 13 & 14, 2024 – Registration Opens May 13, 2024
- Oct. 4 & 5, 2024 – Registration Opens Jun. 3, 2024
- Nov. 8 & 9, 2024 – Registration Opens Jul. 8, 2024
2025 NTMC Schedule
In-Person Hands-On Training
- Orlando, FL February 2025
Registration Opens Late 2024
- Grand Rapids, MI May 2025
Registration Opens Early 2025
FAQs
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
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.
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
- 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
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.
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.
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)
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.
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!