Announcing the release of NCC's FREE Monograph - Fetal Assessment and Safe Care During Labor!

CHICAGO, Jan. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Certification Corporation (NCC) is pleased to announce the release of their newest Monograph – Fetal Assessment and Safe Care During Labor. This publication is available to all health care professionals free of charge.

Authored by Kathleen Rice Simpson, PhD, RNC-OB, CNS-BC, FAAN this monograph was created to incorporate evidence-based labor management guidelines into maternal and fetal assessment during the intrapartum period and includes a brief review of the definitions for fetal heart rate (FHR) patterns developed by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). It also offers an overview of FHR interpretation principles, physiologic implications, and intrauterine resuscitation measures.

One of the main objectives of the heightened focus on labor management is prevention of the first cesarean birth, which avoids maternal morbidity and mortality related to primary and repeat cesareans.

After you have read and reviewed this free monograph, test your understanding by purchasing and completing one or both of its associated CE modules! The module "A Fetal Assessment & Safe Care During Labor--Focus on Electronic Fetal Monitoring" when purchased and passed can meet the 15 CE required for EFM maintenance.

Safe care for mothers and babies during labor and birth is the goal of all health care professionals and is an expectation of childbearing women and their families. Fetal assessment is a key aspect of perinatal patient safety.

Download the free monograph here or visit NCC-EFM.org and learn about other free resources available in the EFM toolkit.

ABOUT NCC:
NCC is a not-for-profit organization that maintains national certification and credentialing programs for physicians, nurses and other licensed health care professionals in the obstetric, gynecologic and neonatal specialties. More than 242,000 licensed health care professionals have been awarded prestigious NCC credentials since its inception in 1975. NCC was first accredited in 1997 and has since maintained continuous accreditation for its certification and credentialing programs.

SOURCE National Certification Corporation