RRT-NPS - Neonatal/Pediatric Respiratory Care Specialist

If you’re a respiratory therapist who enjoys working with pediatric and neonatal patients, pursuing a Neonatal/Pediatric Respiratory Care Specialist certification (RRT-NPS) from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) is a great way to tell employers and patients that you’re highly trained and skilled at caring for this unique patient population.

Cost

• The initial examination fee is $250. There is a one-time discount of $40 for American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC) members.

• Re-examination fee is $220.

• For international candidates only, there is a $150 assessment center fee.

You must be an RRT to take the NPS exam, and if you want to work with neonatal and pediatric patients, it is a highly regarded certification.

If you are not already an RRT, you must qualify for and take the RRT exam first. It is a three-hour exam with 160 questions, 140 of which are scored. The scoring system has two tiers. You must reach the high cut score to be eligible to take the clinical simulation examination (CSE) portion of the exam, and you must pass the CSE to be eligible to become an RRT. The CSE has 22 questions, 20 of which are scored. These questions focus on clinical settings and patient situations. 

If you do not score high enough on the RRT exam, you will not be eligible to take the CSE and will receive a certified respiratory therapist designation (CRT) instead, which is not enough to qualify for the NPS exam. You must score high enough on this exam to take the CSE portion and get your RRT designation to become an RRT-NPS.

The RRT-NPS exam is a three-hour exam with 140 multiple-choice questions, 120 of which are scored.

The prerequisites for the RRT-NPS exam are very straightforward. You just have to be an RRT. 

You can apply for the exam online by creating an account on the National Board for Respiratory Care website or filling out a paper application.

There are no application deadlines. If you apply online, the NBRC processes it immediately. If you mail it in, it takes between five and seven business days. After you are approved to take the exam, you will receive an email with instructions for scheduling. If the NBRC cannot confirm your eligibility for the exam, they will contact you and let you know what information they need to proceed.

All NBRC certifications last five years. You have three options for maintaining and renewing your credentials when the time comes. 

• Option 1: Complete quarterly assessments and complete 30 CE hours. Acceptable CE activities are educational activities directly related to pulmonary function technology or respiratory therapy and include panels, workshops, lectures, symposiums, seminars, and online classes. 

• Option 2: Retake and pass the examination for the highest credential you hold any time during the last year of your five-year certification period. 

• Option 3: Pass any NBRC credentialing exam not previously completed to automatically extend credentialing on all other NBRC certifications held. 

The NBRC has a Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) with a $125 fee paid in $25 increments once a year for the five years of the credentialing period. This program is required if you decide to renew your certification using option 1 above. You will not be required to pay this fee if you choose to maintain your credentials by retaking an exam or taking a new exam, but you will have to pay the exam fees. If renewing by exam, applicants can submit applications on the NBRC portal.

Renewal Fees

• Credential Maintenance Program: $25 a year ($125 total) 

• Renewal by ACCS Retest: $250

• Renewal by RPFT Exam: $170

• Renewal by NPS Exam: $220

• Renewal by SDS Exam: $250

The NBRC provides the following resources:

• Candidate Handbook

• Content Outline

• Free Practice Exam

• Self-Assessment Exam (Cost: $45)

If you want to pursue other specialties as a respiratory therapist, the NBRC offers other certifications, including: 

• Asthma Educator-Certified (AE-C)

• Adult Critical Care Specialist (ACCS)

• Sleep Disorders Specialist (CRT-SDS or RRT-SDS)