Advanced neonatal intensive care requires a multidisciplinary team
By Tammy Kloehn, neonatal nurse practitioner
It takes a village to care for a newborn with medical needs.
ProHealth Care’s family-centered, multidisciplinary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) focuses on the best outcomes for the youngest and smallest patients in the hospital. In the NICU, a highly trained neonatal team works closely together to provide advanced, personalized services 24/7 for tiny patients and their families.
Intensive care is needed when a baby is born before 35 weeks gestation or with medical needs. Twins, triplets and other multiples are often born premature and admitted to the NICU. Some NICU babies are born with an infection, congenital condition, blood sugar issue or addiction. Some require evaluation for neurological, heart or other conditions.
Neonatal intensive care involves a wide variety of comprehensive services, as the patients require round-the-clock monitoring and nursing care, medical equipment support, as well as examinations, therapy and tests.
Private NICU rooms with space for families to stay throughout the day and overnight — and webcams when they need to be away — are a plus. Growing and healing in a quiet environment with loved ones is paramount for hospitalized infants. More family visitation creates a better experience for the entire family and maximizes patient care. In-person communication with the nursing team during family visits is a major benefit.
NICU patient stays can last from less than a day to several months. Most babies born prematurely can go home when they can breathe on their own, eat or feed by mouth, are gaining weight and can maintain their temperature in an open crib. A baby born at 24 weeks may not be ready to go home for three or four months.
ProHealth’s neonatal intensive care team includes:
- Neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners and resident physicians to oversee and provide care
- Nurses
- Respiratory, physical, occupational and speech therapists for assistance with breathing, movement and development, and feeding
- Dietitians and lactation consultants for nutritional and breastfeeding support
- Pharmacists
- Social workers and hospital chaplains
At ProHealth Waukesha Memorial Hospital, the newly renovated NICU is just down the hall from fully equipped cesarean-section surgical suites. It has advanced equipment to ensure that babies are monitored at every moment and receive all the care they need. Soothing, programmable overhead lighting with starry lights allow for scheduled lighting changes, which helps babies adjust their biological clock to circadian rhythms.
At ProHealth, pediatric nurse practitioners, dietitians, and occupational and speech therapists provide follow-up outpatient care, if needed. NICU graduates are followed for developmental goals until age 3. A wide variety of services, including breast and bottle-feeding therapy, and rehabilitation services from infancy throughout adolescence are offered on an outpatient basis.
Multiple, coordinated services help ensure that a family-centered, village approach puts each neonatal patient and their family at the heart of the care team. When intensive care is needed, highly personalized, 24-hour care will be provided by a well-trained team in a safe and comforting environment.
A new birthing unit and NICU entrance features a touchless handwashing station for everyone who enters the area, and large, lighted panels with images that evoke feelings of joy and a sense of calm.
A new room for twins includes isolettes, private space for families, and space for medical equipment and patient care. Convertible furniture allows a family member to stay overnight.
Single patient rooms include the same equipment and furnishings as rooms for twins and triplets.
A family lounge includes a kitchenette and private showers.
A large central nurse station allows staff workspace along with workstations located outside of each patient room.
Tammy Kloehn, neonatal nurse practitioner, has been part of the neonatal intensive care unit team at ProHealth Waukesha Memorial Hospital for 28 years. The Waukesha Memorial unit is designed for infants who are born as early as 22 weeks and weigh less than a pound. The ProHealth Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital NICU is designed for patients born at 32 weeks or later. The NICU teams are highly collaborative. For more information about pregnancy and birth care, visit ProHealthCare.org/Pregnancy.
