Northern Marianas College graduates Xiu Zhen Lizama and Joy Anna Marie Waldo recently earned their certification in Maternal Newborn Nursing from the National Certification Corporation (NCC).
The Maternal Newborn Nursing certification is for mother/baby nurses who provide care to the childbearing family from birth to six weeks within hospital, outpatient or community settings. This certification demonstrates the specialty knowledge of mother/baby nurses in maternal postpartum assessment, management, education, and complications. It also validates their specialty knowledge of newborn assessment, management, transition, and complications.
“All of us here at the College congratulate Xiu and Joy and we wish them the best of luck as they continue to develop professionally,” NMC President Galvin Deleon Guerrero said.
Rosa T. Aldan, NMC nursing department chair, said that she and the entire nursing department of NMC are proud of Lizama and Waldo. Both of them currently work at the Obstetric/Nursery Unit of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC) as registered nurses.
“It is great to see our graduates pursuing advanced nursing degrees and national certifications to further their nursing practice and education,” Aldan said.
Waldo, a 2017 NMC nursing alumna, said that it was her manager at CHCC who encouraged her to get certified.
“I decided to take the opportunity to be a certified maternal newborn nurse,” Waldo said. “This certification enhanced my professional credibility and helped me demonstrate a higher level of clinical competence towards mothers, newborns, and gynecology patients here in the CNMI.”
Waldo is now working towards a Masters in Nursing Informatics at Western Governors University and plans to start taking classes next year.
Lizama, who graduated from NMC’s nursing program in 2012, spent four months preparing for the examination.
“I decided to pursue this certification to provide higher quality nursing care in the maternal and newborn setting,” Lizama said. “I was encouraged by CHCC to take it as well.”
For more information about NMC's nursing program, email NMC Nursing Department Chair Rosa T. Aldan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 237-6744.