• Overview
• How to Apply
• NFI Certified NIDCAP Nurseries

How to Apply - NIDCAP Nursery Certification Program

Newborn Intensive Care Nursery (NICU) Professionals interested in NIDCAP Nursery Certification will complete an application that includes the Nursery Self-Assessment Questionnaire and will rate their nursery on the NNCP Criterion Scales. This process of self evaluation serves to identify their NICU's readiness for NIDCAP Nursery Certification. The NFI designated NNCP Review Team will review the documentation submitted and in interaction with the applicants develop a Site Visit Schedule to review on site various aspects described in the self assessment documents, and to interact with leadership, staff, parents and others in the nursery to obtain a full picture of the nursery's functioning. Fees for certification cover the application review process, the site visit as well as the feedback documentation and guidance as indicated for a nursery. New applications for Nursery Certification will be accepted by 2010.

Nurseries eligible for consideration must meet the following basic criteria:

• Be licensed and accredited (e.g., part of a Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)-Accredited Hospital, or outside the USA, meeting the respective country's accreditation standards)
• Provide care to preterm infants under 1500 grams and 30 weeks gestation, either from birth (Newborn Intensive Care Units, Level III) or in a convalescent mode [Special Care Nurseries (SCN), Level II hospitals providing care for such infants]
• Employ a full-time NFI-certified NIDCAP Professional in good standing.

Interested Nurseries that meet the above criteria should contact the NFI or the NIDCAP Trainer with whom they may have been or are currently working, in order to obtain assistance in planning their application. A consultant or a workshop may be made available to assist a nursery in this process. Additional training, guidance and support may also be available from a NIDCAP Trainer in the area. Such opportunities in assisting a nursery with its self evaluation are typically helpful in guiding an interested nursery towards readiness and in producing a successful application.