The NHSTC is a competency-based course designed to provide the learner with a thorough understanding of the components necessary for conducting quality newborn hearing screening. The recommended practices throughout the course are based on the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) 2019 Position Statement. By taking the course, screeners and stakeholders will have the necessary foundation to do a thorough job and feel confident in their role. In addition, this course is often an employment requirement in hospitals and birthing centers.

The NHSTC is appropriate for staff new to newborn hearing screening, screening staff that have taken it and would like to refresh their knowledge or experienced screeners who have never taken it. All stakeholders involved in your hospital based newborn hearing screening programs should complete the NHSTC. Stakeholders may include screening staff, technicians, program managers, nurses, nurse managers, hospital administrators, state Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program staff, pediatricians, and others.

The NHSTC has 8 modules covering all the components necessary for learning how to conduct high quality newborn hearing screenings.

• Introduction to Newborn Hearing Screening
• Preparing to Screen
• Otoacoustic Emissions Screening (OAE)
• Automated Auditory Brainstem Response Screening (A-ABR)
• Screening Babies with Risk Factors
• Communicating with Families and Providers
• Completing the Screening Process
• Outpatient Screening

The fee to take the Initial NHSTC Certification is $50 and the Recertification Test is $25. For those who are eligible, continuing education credits provided by The American Academy of Audiology (AAA) and the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) are available at no additional cost.

How long does it take to complete the course?

The NHSTC is self-paced in that the course does not have to be completed all at once. Participants can start and stop and learn at their own pace. In its entirety from start to finish, the course takes approximately three hours to complete.

What is required to pass the course?

All required elements must be completed and a score of 80% or higher must be achieved on the posttest.

Is a certificate provided for those who pass the course?

Individuals who pass the posttest with a score of 80% or higher will receive a Certificate of Completion by the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM).

How do I receive a Certificate of Completion?

After passing the post-test, you fill out a Certificate of Completion Request Form. Once the form is completed, you should receive your certificate of completion within a few minutes via email. There is also an option to download your certificate.

Does the Certificate include a unique identification number or code for verification purposes?

Yes. Each certificate has its own identification code that belongs to the individual who received it.

What happens if I don’t pass the course?

You are allowed THREE attempts to pass the posttest with a score of 80% or higher. If you do not pass after three attempts, you will not be able to take the course again for one year. You will still retain unlimited access to review the curriculum.

Can I screen babies as soon as I complete this course?

Although the course includes video demonstrations of babies being screened, it is not intended to replace “hands-on” equipment specific training with newborns. For optimal training outcomes, we recommend all screeners complete the NHSTC as well as demonstrate “hands-on” competencies screening babies with the specific screening equipment used in their facility. In the Resources Section of the NHSTC there is a “Skills Checklist” fillable pdf that can be used for documentation of “hands on” competencies.

When should I take the Recertification Test?

It is recommended that you recertify one year after completing the NHSTC, however different institutions and facilities may have different requirements.

What does the Recertification Test include?

The NHSTC Recertification Test consists of 40 questions which cover the contents of the NHSTC course. Your ability to achieve a score of 80% or higher demonstrates your knowledge of the most important concepts in the NHSTC. It also allows you to renew your Certificate of Completion.

What happens if I do not pass the Recertification Test?

You are allowed THREE attempts to pass the posttest with a score of 80% or higher. If you do not pass after three attempts, you will not be able to take the test again for one year.

Are group discounts available for volume purchases?

Yes, see chart below for pricing.

	Initial NHSTC Certification	NHSTC Re-certification
Individual enrollee (paid online using credit card or PayPal)	$50.00 per person	$25.00 per person
Group of 1 to 10 enrollees (paid via credit card, PayPal, or purchase order)*	$50.00 per person	$25.00 per person
Group of 11 to 25 enrollees (5% discount: paid via credit card, PayPal, or purchase order)*	$47.50 per person	$23.75 per person
Group of 26 to 100 enrollees (10% discount: paid via credit card, PayPal, or purchase order)*	$45.00 per person	$22.50 per person
Group of 101 or more enrollees (15% discount: paid via credit card, PayPal, or purchase order)*	$42.50 per person	$21.25 per person

*To pay by credit card or purchase order, complete this form and we will send you individual coupons for the number of enrollees. Coupons do not expire and each coupon can be used at any time for one enrollee.

How do I get started?

Technical Requirements: The course requires Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer version 9 or higher, Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. Users must have cookies enabled and popups allowed.

• Initial NHSTC Certification:
  • Enrollment and Payment: Individual access to the Initial NHSTC Certification:
    1. Click on the Enroll/ Login Button. Create an account or use the account you already have previously created.
    2. Once you login, you'll be asked to make a payment via PayPal or credit card before you gain access to the course. Once you make a payment, you'll gain immediate access to the course.
  • Group access for multiple individuals in your organization to the Initial NHSTC Certification:
    1. Use a credit card or purchase order to pay for group access
    2. Once you fill out your request, the NCHAM Helpdesk will contact you to complete your order, and then will send you a list of access codes that participants can use to gain access to the NHSTC.
    3. Each participant will need to first create an account if they have not already done so. If they already have an account, they should continue to use it, inputting the code that you give them to gain access to the course in the "Coupon" field on the right-hand sidebar of the course system homepage.
• NHSTC Recertification:
  • Purchase individual access to the Recertification course:
    1. Click on the Enroll/ Login Button. Create an account or use the account you already have previously created.
  • Make a group access payment for multiple individuals in your organization:
    1. Use a credit card or purchase order to pay for group access
    2. Once you fill out your request, the NCHAM Helpdesk will contact you to complete your order, and ask for a list of participants that you want to grant access to the recertification test (and the email addresses associated with the accounts that they used to initially complete the NHSTC). The Helpdesk will then grant each participant access to the test.
    3. Each participant should login to the NHSTC account that they used to initially complete the NHSTC, and navigate to the Recertification course, where they will have access to the recertification test.

Who do I contact if I have payment issues or questions?

Please contact the NCHAM Help Desk if you have further questions or are in need of further assistance.

What are the CPT codes for newborn hearing screening?

• 92558 OAE Screening
• 92650 A-ABR Screening

Is there a course available for conducting early childhood screening?

Learn to Screen is an online hearing screener certification training for screening children beyond the newborn period. This training is appropriate for professionals in early care and educational programs. This includes staff in Early Head Start, Head Start, early intervention, home visiting, or in other daycare, preschool or healthcare settings.