NNP-BC Exam Information and Guideline
NCC Neonatal Nurse Practitioner - 2025
Below are complete topics detail with latest syllabus and course outline, that will help you good knowledge about exam objectives and topics that you have to prepare. These contents are covered in questions and answers pool of exam.
Exam Code: NNP-BC
Exam Name: NCC Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Exam Type: Computer-based, multiple-choice questions.
Number of Questions: 175 questions (150 scored, 25 unscored pretest questions).
Time Allotted: 3 hours (180 minutes).
Passing Score: Scaled score of 700 (on a scale of 300–900).
- Maternal History affecting the Newborn Antepartum
- Neonatal complications: maternal risk factors & complications
- gestational hypertension
- cardiac/pulmonary disease
- diabetes
- common infectious diseases
- common hematologic diseases
- placental insufficiency
- substance abuse
- medication effects
- Fetal assessment
- fetal fibronectin
- nonstress test
- biophysical profile
- ultrasound/doppler flow
- amniocentesis
- antenatal screening/quad screen
- Fetal procedures
- Intrapartum
- Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) Patterns
- Effects on the Fetus/Neonate
- tocolysis/induction
- analgesia
- anesthesia
- neuroprotective agents
- Intrapartum Complications
- amniotic fluid volume
- oligohydramnios
- polyhydramnios
- Rupture of Membranes
- premature
- prolonged
- Intrauterine Drug Exposure
- Nicotine
- Alcohol
- Prescription/nonprescription
- Illicit Drug
- Neonatal
- General appearance
- Head, eyes, nose, ears and mouth
- Neck and throat
- Chest
- Abdomen
- Spine/back
- Extremities
- Genitalia
- Musculoskeletal
- Skin
- Vital signs
- Gestational age assessment physical Characteristics of
- preterm
- term
- post-term
- AGA
- SGA
- LGA
- Associated risks/Complications of variations in gestational age
- Abnormalities of intrauterine parameters
- Behavioral assessment
- state
- Muscle movement/tone/reflexes
- Autonomic control/responses
- Neurosensory capabilities
- Neurological assessment
- Clinical Laboratory Tests
- Microbiological
- Biochemical
- Hematological
- Endocrine
- Immunologic
- Genetic
- Diagnostic studies
- Ultrasound/Doppler
- CT scan
- MRI
- X-ray/fluoroscopy
- EKG
- EEG
- Echocardiogram
- Voiding Cystourethrogram
- Techniques & Equipment
- Procedures
- bag and mask ventilation and T-piece
- LMA’s
- endotracheal intubation
- umbilical vessel and peripheral catheterization
- chest tube insertion/removal
- needle aspiration
- spinal/lumbar tap
- intraosseous access
- intravenous line placement (central/peripheral)
- blood sampling
- circumcisions - complications/contraindications
- Equipment
- cardiopulmonary monitors
- oxygenation equipment/end tidal CO2 monitoring
- invasive/non-invasive blood gas monitoring
- indwelling catheters
- incubators/radiant warmers
- ventilators
- phototherapy
- NIRS
- Family Integration
- Communication
- Family centered care
- Barriers to parent/infant interaction
- Grieving Process
- Stages of grieving and common behaviors
- Factors influencing enhancement or impediment of grief process
- Palliative care/End of life
- Parental depression
- Periviability
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Culturally supportive care
- Discharge Planning and Follow Up
- Anticipatory guidance
- Follow up screening
- Hearing
- Vision - ROP
- Developmental
- Health risks
- Discharge preparation
- Follow-up care
- Thermoregulation
- Mechanisms and management of heat transfer
- evaporation
- conduction
- convection
- radiation
- Rewarming techniques
- Mechanisms of heat production
- Temperature assessment
- Neutral thermal environment
- Resuscitation and Stabilization
- Transition to extrauterine life
- Delivery room assessment
- Techniques of resuscitation
- Indications for interventions
- Cord blood gas interpretation
- Neonatal transport
- Growth and Nutrition
- Physiology of Digestion and Absorption
- Nutritional Requirements
- Enteral Feeding
- Parenteral Nutrition
- Composition of Breast Milk/Formulas/Donor milk
- Dietary Supplementation
- Fluids and Electrolytes
- Common problems and conditions
- Fluid & Electrolyte requirements
- Insensible water loss/gain
- Central & peripheral infusion
- Acid base balance
- Fish oil emulsion (Omegaven) SMOF
- Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics
- Pharmacokinetics
- distribution
- excretion
- absorption
- metabolism
- withdrawal
- Principles of administration
- dosage/interval
- route
- tolerance/weaning
- Common Drug Therapies
- Analgesia/narcotics
- Anticoagulants
- Anticonvulsants
- Antihypertensive drugs
- Antimicrobials
- biologics/immunities
- vaccinations
- Cardiovascular drugs
- vasodilators/vasopressors
- antidysrhythmia drugs
- Diuretics
- GI drugs
- antacids
- prokinetic
- proton pump inhibitors
- Inhalants
- iNO
- Neurologic agents
- anesthetics agents
- sedatives
- hypnotics
- Respiratory drugs
- bronchodilators
- respiratory stimulants
- surfactant therapy
- Steroids
- Drugs and breastfeeding
- Drug transfer
- Drug safety
- Cardiac
- Congenital Cardiac Defects
- cyanotic
- Ebstein’s Anomaly
- Tetralogy of Fallot
- truncus arteriosus
- transposition of great vessels
- total anomalous pulmonary venous return
- tricuspid atresia
- acyanotic
- ventricular septal defect
- coarctation of aorta (interrupted arch)
- atrial septal defect septal defect
- hypoplastic left heart syndrome
- endocardial cushion defect (AV canal)
- aortic stenosis
- Patent ductus arteriosus
- Congestive heart failure
- Hypertension/Hypotension
- Shock
- Dysrhythmias
- PGE’s
- Respiratory
- Respiratory distress syndrome
- Transient tachypnea
- Pneumothorax and air leaks/chylothorax
- Congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM)
- Cystic pulmonary
- Apnea of prematurity
- Meconium aspiration
- Diaphragmatic eventrations
- Persistent pulmonary hypertension
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary hemorrhage
- Pulmonary hypoplasia
- Diaphragmatic hernia
- Chronic lung disease
- Laryngeal, tracheomalacia/stenosis
- Respiratory support
- principles and methods of oxygen
- administration/ventilation
- risk factors affecting oxygenation/ventilation
- oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve
- high frequency ventilation (HFV)
- extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
- nitric oxide
- neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA)
- nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV)
- noninvasive ventilation (NIV)
- Gastrointestinal
- Development of the GI tract
- Digestive and absorptive disorders
- diarrhea/short gut
- Disorders of suck/swallow/motility
- GERD
- cleft lip palate
- Duodenal atresia
- tracheoesophageal fistula -esophageal atresia
- small left colon syndrome
- Hirschsprung disease
- volvulus
- imperforate anus
- pyloric stenosis
- Malabsorption/maldigestion
- Diarrhea/short gut
- Anomalies/obstruction of upper and lower GI tract
- small left colon syndrome
- Hirschsprung’s disease
- Abdominal wall defects
- gastroschisis -omphalocele
- Obstructions
- Perforations
- Meconium ileus
- Tracheoesophageal fistula
- Necrotizing enterocolitis
- Inguinal hernia
- Malrotaton
- Renal/Genitourinary
- Renal vein/artery thrombosis
- Acute renal failure/insufficiency
- Polycystic/multicystic dysplastic kidneys
- Urinary outflow tract obstruction
- Testicular torsion
- Exstrophy of the bladder
- Hypospadias/epispadias
- Hydronephrosis grading system/hydroureter
- Endocrine/Metabolic
- Adrenal disorders
- Ambiguous genitalia
- Calcium disorders
- Glucose disorders
- Magnesium disorders
- Phosphorus disorders
- Pituitary disorders
- Thyroid disorders
- Infants of diabetic mothers
- Osteopenia of prematurity
- Hematopoietic
- Hematological disorders
- anemia
- polycythemia
- platelet disorders
- coagulopathies
- vitamin K deficiency
- disseminated intravascular coagulation
- factor deficiencies
- neutropenia/neutrophilia
- Rh disease and ABO incompatibility
- Blood component therapy
- Jaundice and liver disease
- Hyperbilirubinemia (direct and indirect)
- Breastmilk jaundice
- Kernicterus
- Phototherapy
- Exchange transfusion
- Biliary atresia
- Infectious Diseases
- Normal immunologic function
- Common neonatal infections
- group B streptococcal
- e-coli
- staphylococcal
- klebsiella
- enterococcus
- candidiasis
- pseudomonas
- enterovirus
- respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
- CMV
- hepatitis B
- toxoplasmosis
- herpes
- HIV/AIDS
- chlamydia
- gonorrhea
- syphilis
- varicella
- Neonatal sepsis
- SIRS
- Meningitis
- Septic shock
- Infection control and universal precautions
- MRSA/VRSE
- Osteomyelitis
- Musculoskeletal
- Abnormalities of the skeleton
- metatarsus adductus
- achondroplasia
- Clubfoot
- Developmental dysplasia of the hip
- Spinal abnormalities
- Musculoskeletal birth injuries
- fractures
- nerve damage
- torticollis
- Aperts, crouzon, etc.
- Integumentary
- General skin development and care
- Disorders
- ecchymosis -epidermolysis bullosa
- hemangiomas
- ichthyosis
- subcutaneous fat necrosis
- Milia/miliara
- Hyperpigmented macule
- Erythema toxicum
- Neonatal pustular melanosis
- Auricular tags
- Petechiae
- Port wine stain
- Hyper/hypopigmentation
- Genetics
- Genetic processes
- multifactorial inheritance
- nondisjunction
- translocation
- deletion/duplication
- sex linked inheritance
- Inborn errors of metabolism
- Hyperammonemia
- Newborn Screening
- galactosemia
- cystic fibrosis
- Chromosomal abnormalities/syndromes
- Trisomy 21
- Trisomy 13
- Trisomy 18
- Turner syndrome
- Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome
- DiGeorge syndrome
- Osteogenesis imperfecta
- Potter sequence
- VATER/VACTERL
- CHARGE
- Neurological
- Perinatal – depression/asphyxia
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy
- therapeutic hypothermia
- Cranial hemorrhages
- Hydrocephalus
- Neural tube defects
- Seizures
- Jitteriness
- Periventricular leukomalacia
- Auto regulation
- Cerebral palsy
- aEEG
- Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)
- Congenital neuromuscular disorders
- Craniosynostosis
- Neurodevelopmental care
- Ears, Eyes, Nose and Throat
- Eyes
- eye prophylaxis
- cataracts
- coloboma
- glaucoma
- retinopathy of prematurity
- strabismus
- conjunctivitis
- Nose
- nasolacrimal duct obstruction
- choanal atresia
- deviated septum
- Ears
- malformations
- Mouth/throat
- cleft lip and palate
- micrognathia/retrognathia
- macroglossia
- airway obstruction
- Ethical Principles
- Autonomy
- Beneficence
- Non-maleficence
- Justice
- Professional/Legal Issues
- Professional
- Regulation
- Practice
- HIPPA
- Staffing issues
- Legal liability
- Consent
- Documentation/medical records
- Negligence/malpractice
- Evidence-based practice
- Terminology
- Reliability
- Validity
- Significance
- Levels of Evidence
- Quality Improvement
- Research utilization
- Neonatal Safety
- Communication
- Interprofessional practice