We all know that the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a place where babies who are born prematurely or seriously ill can be cared for. But what exactly is it? How does it differ from other pediatric units, and what makes it such an essential part of medical care?
In this post, we'll explore the answers to these questions and more.
What is a NICU?
The neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a specialized unit for the care of newborn babies who are at risk for or have developed complications of premature birth. It may also be called a Special Care Nursery or a Special Care Unit.
A neonate is defined as an infant 28 days old up to 1-month-old, and an infant is defined as one-month-old up to 1-year-old. The term “neonate” may also be used for the first four weeks after birth.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is one of the most critical areas in any hospital. It is where extremely sick babies are treated by highly trained staff. These babies require constant monitoring and sometimes life support systems such as breathing tubes or intravenous lines. Infants in the NICU receive treatment from neonatologists, pediatric surgeons, cardiologists, neurologists, and other specialists.
Which Babies Need Special Care?
Babies who are born too soon or very sick may need to stay in a NICU for several weeks to months. Some of these babies have medical problems such as:
- Congenital disabilities, such as heart problems or Down syndrome that are present at birth
- Complications during pregnancy, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or infections like group B strep
- Problems during delivery of the placenta, such as umbilical cord prolapse or placental abruption
- Breathing difficulties after birth.
Who Works in NICU?
NICU is a very busy place; there are many different people that work in the NICU. Each person has their own job that they have to do. Some of these jobs include:
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NICU Nurses
Neonatal nurse specialists (NNSs) have special training that allows them to provide specialized care for extremely sick or premature babies. NNSs are registered nurses who have completed an advanced nursing program focused on high-risk newborns.
The length of the program varies, but most take about two years to complete. After completing their degree, NNSs must pass a certification exam administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Some hospitals also require their NICU nurses to be certified in neonatal resuscitation.
Neonatologists
Neonatologists are the doctors who give care to premature infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). They are pediatricians who have special training in caring for newborns. Neonatologists may be board-certified in pediatrics, pediatric emergency medicine, or neonatal-perinatal medicine.
In addition to their medical expertise, neonatologists have special training in providing care to newborns and other premature infants. They have experience managing problems related to prematurity and low birth weight, including lung problems, infections, and blood sugar disorders — conditions that are common among premature babies.
Respiratory Therapists
Respiratory therapists help put tubes down a baby's throat if they can't breathe on their own or if they have trouble breathing. They also help get oxygen into the lungs by blowing into a mask on the baby's face or by putting an oxygen tube in their nose or mouth.
The respiratory therapist will also suction out any secretions from around the baby's mouth and nose if necessary to help keep them comfortable and well-fed while in the hospital.
Registered Nurses (RNs)
Registered nurses (RNs) are responsible for assessing the patient's status and planning care for individual patients. They are also responsible for implementing the plan of care as directed by the physician and other members of the healthcare team.
In addition, RNs administer medications and provide education to families about their child's condition.
Social Workers
Social workers are an essential part of the care team. They help families work with their unique circumstances, and they also help families understand the medical jargon.
They can provide emotional support as well as practical assistance to help with any financial or insurance issues that may arise. Social workers are also there to help families plan for their baby's discharge from the hospital and transition home.
This includes helping them find resources like transportation options, daycare, and other services that might be needed for the infant's safety and well-being.
What are the Different Levels of Neonatal Care?
Neonatal care can be divided into four levels. Each level of care has a specific purpose.
Level I: Well Newborn Nursery
The well newborn nursery is for healthy, full-term infants who are not in need of intensive care. The goal is to keep them at the same temperature as their mother (98.6 degrees F) and give them plenty of skin-to-skin contact with their parents.
Level II: Special Care Nursery
Special care nurseries provide more intensive care than Level I nurseries, but less than what's available in a Level III unit. They're designed to handle babies who need specialized equipment or monitoring, but aren't necessarily critically ill. Examples include premature babies who need help breathing or babies born with congenital heart defects.
Level III: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
Babies who require more intensive treatment may be moved to a NICU if they need help breathing or feeding, or if they have severe congenital disabilities or other health problems that keep them from growing normally.
Level IV: Regional Neonatal Intensive-Care Unit (Regional NICU)
A regional NICU is a specialized center that provides the highest level of neonatal care. It generally has a pediatric surgical subspecialist on staff, has all the capabilities of Level I, II, and III units, and is located within an institution.
A regional NICU offers surgery for complex congenital or acquired conditions, arranges transport, and provides outreach education to other facilities. It can provide ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), which helps circulate blood outside the body to treat some heart and lung conditions in newborns.
NICU vs. Other Pediatric Units
The NICU is a very different place than a pediatric floor. The staff is trained to care for newborns who need extra attention and monitors. The NICU has its own set of rules and regulations that need to be followed at all times. The following are some of the differences between the NICU and other pediatric units:
The NICU is usually located in its own unit, but sometimes it may be part of another unit, such as the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit). A patient's stay may last hours or days, depending on their condition.
The majority of patients admitted to the NICU are premature infants who weigh less than 1,500 grams at birth or have medical conditions such as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) or sepsis that require monitoring.
If a baby is born early, it will be given oxygen through an umbilical cord until they are able to breathe on its own. The baby will also be given antibiotics if needed and tube feedings if they are unable to eat on their own due to illness or extreme prematurity.
NICU vs. PICU
The NICU and PICU are both neonatal intensive care units (NICU is short for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). The primary difference between the two is that PICUs are for pediatric patients who are over the age of 1 month, whereas NICUs are designed specifically for newborns.
NICU vs. PICU: Services
When a baby is born prematurely or has other complications, it may need to be admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A NICU can provide these babies with round-the-clock medical care and treatment until they're strong enough to go home.
A PICU can also offer this kind of care and treatment, but it's typically only reserved for children who are between 1 month old and 18 years old.
A PICU will have most of the same services as a NICU. However, there are some differences between them:
- NICUs tend to have more resources available than PICUs do; for example, the number of beds or staff members may differ from facility to facility. This means that some NICUs might be able to accommodate more babies at once than others can.
- NICUs are often equipped with newer technology than PICUs, such as IV pumps and ventilators.
- NICUs provide more hands-on care than PICUs do because they have fewer patients per unit and staff members assigned only to one unit at a time.
Does NICU Count as Critical Care?
Yes! NICU is critical care.
The medical definition of critical care is: "A patient who requires specialized and immediate interdisciplinary intervention to stabilize an acute illness, injury or surgical condition, or to prevent potential complications."
This can include conditions like shock, cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, sepsis, major trauma, burns, and other life-threatening emergencies.
The NICU is the area in a hospital where premature babies are cared for after they're born. Premature babies are born before 37 weeks of pregnancy — before they're fully developed.
Should I Choose the NICU Unit To Work as a Nurse?
The NICU is a very rewarding place to work. You work with a lot of families who are going through the most challenging time in their life. You can be there for them and help them through this tough time.
You will have good days and bad days. As long as you are prepared for that, it won't be an issue at all.
The key to being successful on the NICU floor is having your own support system, whether it be friends or family members who can come visit you during your breaks or after work hours.
It makes it so much easier to deal with the stress that comes with working in such an environment when you have someone who can talk to you about it!
Pros And Cons of Working in the NICU
If you are thinking of going into nursing, you may be considering the NICU. It is a very rewarding field, and there are many great things about it, but it's not for everyone.
Here are some of the pros and cons of working in the NICU:
Pros:
- You will get to spend time with some of the most special people in your life – newborns!
- You will be able to help families through one of their most difficult times.
- You can make a huge difference in someone's life (and theirs).
- You will learn so much about caring for babies who need extra help growing up.
- NICU salary is higher than other specialties.
Cons:
- It can be very stressful at times because there are lots of babies who need extra help and attention. It can be hard to care for them all at once sometimes!
What Skills Do You Need to Work in a NICU?
Some of the skills you'll need if you're interested in working in this field include:
Patient Interaction
You'll interact with patients and their families on a daily basis. This means that you need excellent communication skills so that you can interact effectively with them without causing any unnecessary stress. It also means that you need a caring and compassionate demeanor so that patients feel comfortable talking about their feelings and concerns with you.
Medical Knowledge
The NICU staff needs to know how to take care of premature babies who have very special needs because they're so young and fragile. In order to do this, they must have extensive medical knowledge about how to treat these babies' specific problems, including how to feed them through tubes inserted through their noses and into their stomachs, how to prevent infections or other complications from developing, how to monitor blood sugar levels (since many premature babies are born with low blood sugar levels), etc.
Teamwork
You will be working closely with other nurses, doctors and respiratory therapists. The NICU is a team effort, so it is important for everyone to work together and support each other.
Patience
NICU nurses work with newborns who have just been born or who have been born prematurely, so they need patience with these vulnerable patients. They also need patience with parents who may not know what their baby's condition is or how long they will be in the hospital.
Comforting
A NICU nurse needs comfort skills because she'll be dealing with stressed-out parents who don't know whether their child will live or die. She'll also be dealing with anxious babies who can't tell her what's wrong, but she needs to figure out how best to take care of them anyway.
And That’s A Wrap!
We've looked at the NICU, and now we know what it is and how it differs from other pediatric units.
In the NICU, newborns are given special monitoring, oxygen supplementation, and care. We've seen that the NICU differs from other pediatric units in several ways—for example, it has a higher staff-to-patient ratio than a regular pediatric unit.
And while neonatal intensive care may seem like a scary thing to experience for parents, there are many rewards for these babies. Most importantly, they're getting the care they need to help them grow up healthy!
FAQs
Is NICU the same as ICU?
Yes, NICU stands for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. It is a specific type of care center for newborns who are critically ill or premature.
What are the NICU equipments?
The equipment used in a NICU varies based on the age of the child, but some of them include respirators, incubators, oxygen tanks, and monitors.
What are the NICU protocols?
The NICU protocols are a set of guidelines that help nurses keep the babies safe while they're in the hospital. These guidelines include things like how much time each baby spends in their incubator, what room temperature is right for them, what kind of feeding schedule to follow, and more.
What is the NICU age range?
The NICU age range is from birth to 32 weeks. Babies who are born before 32 weeks and who weigh less than 1,500 grams are considered to be in the NICU.
