The first test preparation text ever published for the national certification exam for neonatal nurse practitioners has entered the textbook market, thanks to the efforts of a nursing professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Assistant Professor Amy Koehn, PhD, MSN, NNP-BC, who coordinates the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) program for the UTHSC College of Nursing, is the editor of the 450-page book, “Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Certification Intensive Review: Fast Facts and Practice Questions,” published by Springer Publishing Company in December 2019. Dr. Koehn holds a PhD in nursing from Indiana University and has been a certified neonatal nurse practitioner since 1998. She has led the NNP concentration in the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program at the UTHSC College of Nursing since 2015.
Within weeks of the book’s publication, Dr. Koehn said she was receiving rave reviews and grateful comments. “It has been greatly needed for a long time,” she said.
Although the book is intended as a reference for self-directed study, many neonatal professionals have noted its everyday value. “I have received emails out of the blue that say, ‘I’m going to keep it on our (neonatal) unit as a reference,’ ” Dr. Koehn said.
The text is heavily influenced by Memphis-area nurse practitioners. Associate Professor Bobby Bellflower, who directs the DNP program in the UTHSC College of Nursing, wrote the textbook’s foreword. Tosha Harris, a 2018 graduate of the UTHSC DNP NNP concentration, co-authored a chapter. And Shawn Sullivan, a neonatal nurse practitioner for Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, also wrote a chapter. Dr. Koehn co-authored six chapters in addition to serving as editor of the textbook.
The book is especially valuable because it is the first one available to help neonatal nurse practitioners prepare for the national certification exam following graduation from their academic program. Other study guides for neonatal nurses exist, but they are oriented to bedside neonatal nurses, rather than neonatal nurse practitioners.
UTHSC College of Nursing Dean Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, ARNP-BC, FAANP, said, “It is critical for our students to have the best resources available to successfully pass their certifications. This certification review text will be an essential resource for NNP students across the country, and we are proud to have Dr. Koehn as the editor of the first NNP review certification text.”
There are approximately 5,200 certified neonatal nurse practitioners in the United States. The UTHSC College of Nursing has one of 43 academic programs to prepare neonatal nurse practitioners in the U.S.