Use of Life Support Programs that offer CE/Credentials

Effective since January 1, 2025, only certifications that have core competencies related to life support/resuscitation will be accepted for maintenance or reinstatement of certifications. Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Basic Life Support (BCLS/BLS) cannot be used in the maintenance or reinstatement of any NCC certification.  The programs listed below may apply to certain certifications as indicated. These programs are limited to one-time use during a maintenance/reinstatement cycle and can only provide a total of 5 CE during a maintenance/reinstatement cycle.  The CE certificate must be uploaded with the maintenance/reinstatement application (Certificates of completion are not accepted.) These include the use of the following, if deemed core to the certification maintenance:

Advanced Life Support for Obstetrics (ALSO/ALS-OB)
Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP)
Neonatal Advanced Life Support (NALS)
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)

These can be used as follows
NRP, NALs or ALSO/ALS-OB can be used for Core exams as follows:

CORE Certification

Approved Programs

Code for Program

Limit CE

 Document

Inpatient Obstetric Nursing (RNC-OB)

ALSO or ALS-OB

Code 3

5

CE certificate must be uploaded and provided with the application

NRP or NALS

Code 5

5

Low Risk Neonatal (RNC-LRN)

NRP or NALS

Code 2

5

Maternal Newborn (RNC-MNN)

ALSO or ALS-OB

Code 1

5

NRP or NALS

Code 3

5

Neonatal Intensive (RNC-NIC)

NRP or NALS

Code 1

5

Neonatal NP (NNP-BC)

NRP or NALS

Code 3

5

Women’s Health NP (WHNP-BC)

ALSO or ALS-OB

Code 1

5

Antepartum Nursing (RNC-IAP)

ALSO or ALS-OB

Code 2

5

For subspecialties, none of these programs can be used to meet core competencies for EFM, NNIC, ONQS or RHI.  For the other subspecialties, they can be used as follows:

SUBSPECIALTY Certification

Approved Programs

Code for Program

Limit CE

Document

Neonatal Pediatric Transport (C-NPT)

NRP, NALS or PALS

Code 27

5

CE certificate must be uploaded and provided with the application

Care of the Extremely Low Birth Weight (C-ELBW)

NRP or NALS

Code 7

5

OB Emergencies (C-OBE)

ALSO or ALS-OB

 Code 30

5

None of these programs can be used for the following legacy certifications: Breastfeeding, Gynecology Reproductive Health, Menopause Clinician, Menopause Educator, Reproductive Endo and Infertility, Ambulatory Women’s Health Care.  

For other legacy certifications, the following can be used once during a 3-year maintenance/reinstatement period.

Legacy Certification

Approved Programs

Code for Program

CE

Document

OB for Primary Care

ALSO or ALS-OB

Code 1

5

CE certificate must be uploaded and provided with the application

High Risk OB Nursing

ALSO or ALS-OB

Code 19

5

Telephone Nursing

ALSO or ALS-OB:
NRP, NALS or PALS

Code 19

5

Joint Process

ALSO or ALS-OB:
NPR, NALS or PALS

Code 19

5
RATIONALE:

Limiting to 5 CEs: ALSO/ALS-OB, NRP, and PALS certification alone does not satisfy the requirements for a full specialty code. To maintain a balanced professional profile, CE hours must be distributed across all core competency areas within a certification and not just resuscitation. Since the curriculum of life support courses varies significantly between institutions, professionals must ensure their documented education covers the complete scope of the specialty core content.

Rational for eliminating BLS and ACLS: Accreditation requires that continuing education and maintenance focus on the growth of specialized knowledge rather than the maintenance of foundational skills.

  • BLS and ACLS are considered “entry-level” for almost all licensed health care providers and are typically a prerequisite for practice.
  • CE earned must be reflective of evolving scientific developments in that specific specialty.

Certification is designed to validate expertise above and beyond the baseline. NCC’s CCA is designed to identify specific knowledge gaps for the individual. ACLS and BLS are standardized and do not address specific specialized knowledge in the certification topic.

While BLS and ACLS are critical life-saving skills, they are considered foundational competencies for all healthcare providers. NCC maintenance is focused on specialized advancement. To ensure the certification remains a ‘gold standard’, the CE hours must focus on the specific clinical developments and evidence-based practice in the specialty areas.