The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Wake Forest Baptist

Nine neonatologists care for critically ill neonates in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Brenner Children’s Hospital. Their expertise includes the care of fetuses and newborns with congenital anomalies, prematurely born infants and follow-up care for high-risk infants after discharge from the hospital. Neonatologists work closely with pediatric surgeons, nurse specialists, pharmacologists, nutritionists, social workers and pastoral counselors, providing a multidisciplinary, holistic approach to the care of the neonate and family. Family-centered care in Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Brenner Children’s Hospital staff is focused on treating the entire family when a child is hospitalized. In the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, social workers are assigned to each family. They work closely to ensure that parents know the resources available in their home communities and here at Brenner Children’s Hospital in our neonatal follow-up clinic at Amos Cottage.

Click image to view Virtual Tour Brenner Children’s Hospital operates a Level IV neonatal intensive care nursery – the highest level of care available -- and is one of 16 participants in a National Institutes of Health-sponsored neonatal research network that develops new therapies and treatments. Click here for more Virtual Tours of Brenner Children Hospital.

Siblings are also included when treating the whole family. “We have a special visitation policy that allows brothers and sisters to visit their new sibling,” said Connie Purkey, nurse manager for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. “Support of the entire family is one of our top priorities. Our goal is to send patients home with families who are knowledgeable about their care and have the resources available to them if needed.”

In Brenner Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, there are two private family rooms assigned to parents when their infant is ready to go home. These rooms help ease parents’ fears about taking their newborn home the first night. Nurses and physicians are within reach and can be called upon to answer questions and help with the care of the child.

We also provide laundry facilities, respite areas, and vending areas close to the family rooms to provide parents a break during their child’s stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. In addition, we offer access to a meditation room that is open 24 hours a day, as well as the Ronald McDonald Room (located on the sixth floor and staffed 12 hours a day by volunteers), where refreshments and e-mail access are available.

Kangaroo Care

Kangaroo care is used in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to help aid in an infant’s recovery and comfort parents during a stressful time. Kangaroo care is a form of skin-to-skin contact between a parent and their baby. The baby is held in an upright position against a parent's bare chest for 20 minutes to four hours a day. Benefits of this method of care include: bonding between the parent and child and calming of the infant as he/she responds to the parent’s heartbeat and enjoys deeper levels of sleep.

Studies have also shown that parents who use this method benefit from decreased hospital stays, and increased joy in helping to care for their child. Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit have been shown to demonstrate fewer breathing pauses and a decreased number of low heart rate spells.

Nurses in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit can demonstrate Kangaroo Care for parents and help them decide when their child is ready for this unique therapy.

Meeting the needs of our diverse community

At Brenner Children’s Hospital, we recognize that Spanish-speaking families with children in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or elsewhere at our facility must have the help of someone who understands their needs and communicates with them in their own language. That’s why we have a Hispanic Patient Educator, a pediatric nurse who helps Spanish-speaking families navigate through the hospital system, understand what is happening with the treatment plan, and prepare parents to take their child home.

“As a parent, it is frightening to come to a hospital and not be able to communicate with the people caring for your sick child,” said Eva Gómez, RN MSN, Hispanic Patient Educator. “I work with families so they can share their concerns and receive feedback directly from a member of the health care team. I also educate them about many important things such as CPR, safety and injury prevention, medications they will need at home, and resources available to them in their home communities.”

The Ronald McDonald House: Home away from home

Many parents who must stay at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for extended periods of time have the option to stay at the Ronald McDonald House, located across from the hospital campus. The house has 17 bedrooms for families, 2 living rooms, 2 playrooms and a playground. Volunteers come and cook meals nearly every day and families can talk with other families in similar situations. Volunteers of the Family Assistance Program also work to support all members of the family during their stay at the Ronald McDonald House. For more information or directions to the house, visit their website at www.rmhwinstonsalem.org.

One of the 16 centers that are part of the National Institutes of Health neonatal research network, Brenner Children’s Hospital supports multiple studies and clinical trials, including pulmonary basic and translational research and houses one of the largest extremely low birth weight infant follow-up programs in the nation.

Take a virtual tour of our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or the other areas of Brenner Children’s Hospital.