HOW NRP WORKS: Two Levels of Provider Status
NRP Offers Two Levels of Provider Status
The NRP 8th edition introduced a new educational methodology tailored to better meet the needs of the many health care professionals who manage the newly born baby. The NRP Steering Committee made the decision to offer two course options so that NRP providers could excel in the course material most relevant to their role and personnel resources during newborn resuscitation. Beginning with NRP 8th edition, providers may attain NRP Essentials or NRP Advanced provider status.
Who should take NRP Essentials?
Anyone involved in the care of a newborn should take NRP Essentials. The NRP Essentials participant is responsible for material in textbook Lessons1 through 4 only. This includes use of the laryngeal mask and orogastric tube. Each facility may determine if the NRP Essentials provider is also responsible for CPAP administration in the delivery room. The NRP Essentials learner may study additional lessons for knowledge enhancement (Lessons 5 through 11 and supplemental lessons 12 through 14) but will not be tested on that material.
Who Should Take NRP Advanced?
NRP Advanced may be appropriate for those who attend births and are responsible for anticipated resuscitation of the newborn with known risk factors and for those who participate in neonatal resuscitation beyond positive-pressure ventilation (PPV). The NRP Advanced participant is responsible for the material in textbook Lessons 1 through 11. They may study the supplemental lessons 12 through 14 but will not be tested on that material.
NRP Essentials or Advanced: Who Decides?
Each facility determines its own policy for who should attain NRP Essentials or NRP Advanced provider status. Ideally, this policy should be written before NRP 8th edition Provider courses begin.
Every birth should be attended by at least one qualified individual who can initiate resuscitation and whose only responsibility is management of the newly born baby. Your hospital policy might state that the NRP Essentials provider may attend a birth and be solely responsible for newborn care when there are no known perinatal/neonatal risk factors. In the event of an unanticipated resuscitation, the Essentials provider will initiate resuscitation, administer PPV if required, and call for additional help.
Each facility decides if the NRP Essentials provider will step aside when the NRP Advanced resuscitation team arrives at an unanticipated resuscitation, or if the Essentials provider will assume a role within their scope of training. If health care professionals are expected to assist with chest compressions, intubation, emergency vascular access, medication administration, or documentation, they should be NRP Advanced providers.
If risk factors are present, at least two qualified individuals should be present solely to manage the baby. The number and qualifications of these individuals will be determined by the risk factors. A full resuscitation team should be immediately available for every birth.
Your facility may not have a staff large enough to accommodate NRP Essentials and Advanced providers. If most staff participate in births with risk factors and are called to assist with complex resuscitations, then only a small number of select staff with limited responsibilities may be suited to NRP Essentials.
The AAP will not deter any NRP learner from taking either course option. If an NRP course participant is unsure about which course to take because, at some point, they may be called on to participate as part of a resuscitation team, they should probably become an NRP Advanced provider.