Neonatal Nurse Practitioner NCC Practice Exam

Universal newborn hearing screening is designed to quickly assess auditory function in every newborn so that potential hearing loss can be detected early. It uses rapid, noninvasive tests (such as otoacoustic emissions or automated auditory brainstem response). The goal is to identify infants who may have a hearing issue and then refer them for confirmatory diagnostic testing and, if a loss is confirmed, for early intervention. It does not provide a definitive diagnosis itself; a full diagnostic evaluation by a pediatric audiologist is required to confirm hearing loss. Therefore, stating that screening directly diagnoses hearing loss is not true. The other statements accurately describe universal screening: it assesses auditory function, it refers for confirmatory testing and early intervention if indicated, and it screens all newborns.