Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a specialized area that provides care for babies after birth who are born too early, are sick, or who may need surgery. Some of the reasons include: preterm birth, low birth weight, breathing difficulty, low blood sugar, and infection.
Members of the NICU team meet with high risk mothers before the birth of their baby to discuss the care that their baby will need and what the family can expect after the baby is born.
What we do
The staff of the NICU have a strong commitment to providing the highest quality of care for infants and their families. We believe that the parent-child relationship is the most essential part for the best long-term outcome for the infant. Our goal is to support the infant and family within the NICU until the family can assume the independent role as primary care giver.
If your baby is born outside of St. John’s and requires care in the NICU, the Neonatal Transport Team will transport your baby to the unit. This team is a highly specialized group of registered nurses and respiratory therapists who provide stabilization and safe transfer of critically ill infants.
Unit features:
- Waiting room for family and visitors;
- Sleep rooms available for parents who are providing care, reserved based on specific patient and family needs;
- Breast milk expression equipment and storage;
- Pasteurized human donor breast milk, availability based on specific criteria;
- Neonatal Transport Team, and
- Neonatal Resuscitation Team.
Who we see
All newborn babies who need specialized care can stay in the NICU as long as medically necessary. As your baby outgrows neonatal care, they may transition to another care area.
Our team
We appreciate that this can be a very stressful time for you and your family. Your bedside registered nurse will guide you on how best to be involved in your baby’s care. We invite you to participate in our morning bedside team rounds so that you can contribute to your baby’s plan of care. Please ask your health-care team about more ways you can be involved.
There are many people involved in the care of your baby. Our team, compromised of the following professionals, is committed to providing the highest level of care to your child and to meeting your needs to the best of our ability.
- Nurses
- Neonatologists
- Medical residents
- Neonatal nurse practitioners (NNP)
- Clinical associates
- Registered respiratory therapists (RRT)
- Social workers
- Patient care facilitators
- Managers
- Pharmacists
- Lactation consultants
- Dietitians
- Physical therapist/occupational therapists (PT/OT)
- Diagnostic imaging technicians
- Laboratory technicians
How to access this service
Babies are admitted to the NICU directly from the Case Room, either at the Health Sciences Centre or from their local hospital.
Where we are
Janeway Children’s Health and Rehabilitation Centre
3rd Floor
300 Prince Philip Drive
St. John’s, NL A1B 3V6
Hours of operation
Inpatient services provide 24-hour care, seven days per week.
How to reach us
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
Telephone: 709-777-7401 or 709-777-7402
Visitation practices in the NICU
Parents/guardians of NICU patients are encouraged to be with their baby anytime with the exception of:
- Shift change, every day between 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and
- Daily quiet hour between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Caregiver involvement in daily rounds is encouraged. There may be times when you are unable to visit or are asked to leave the NICU. For example, caregivers may be asked to leave the room to support patient confidentiality during rounds. This is a very busy intensive care area and at times there may be restrictions to visiting for the purposes of patient care. We will do our best to limit such interruptions. Your baby’s bedside nurse will give you more information about visiting during your first visit to the NICU.
Visitors must be 12 years or older (with the exception of siblings). Younger siblings will need to be screened for infectious contacts, immunizations and chicken pox status.
Please visit in good health. Illnesses that are minor to adults can be very serious for babies in hospital. If you or any of your identified visitors have a cold, fever or any symptoms of illness, please do not visit until you are feeling better.
