Welcome To NICU -- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit At South Miami Hospital

Learn all you need to know about the care provided to your baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at South Miami Hospital.

[Transcript]

[Welcome to NICU]
[Baptist Health South Florida]
[Mom and dad with infant child]
Jackie Nespral:
(silence)
Jackie Nespral:
Congratulations, your baby is finally here. The transition from mommy's womb to the outside world is a big step for babies. There are certain challenges your baby will need to overcome in order to sustain life here with us. Simple things like breathing, maintaining body temperature, and feeding can be challenging for your baby at this time. Our neonatal intensive care unit is here to help your baby overcome these challenges and to support you through this process.
[Hospital employees working]
Jackie Nespral:
The NICU environment is a place where your baby will receive individualized special care. In this video, we will introduce you to some of the members of the NICU team and we will show you some of the equipment that you might see when you visit your baby.
Jackie Nespral:
As you enter the neonatal intensive care unit, better known as NICU, you will be greeted by the secretarial staff who is there to check your ID bands and give you directions on how to proceed. They are required to screen all visitors to ensure that they can visit your baby because infection is a very big concern in the newborn period, and only two people are allowed at the bedside at a time. Let's hear what the nurse manager has to say about visitation.
[Hospital employees interacting with patients]
Colleen Rodriguez:
The visiting hours in the NICU or 24 hours a day, except for two times, and that's from 6:30 AM to 7:30 AM, and then again from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. The reason that we're closed during that time is because the nurses are giving a report then, and we want to ensure the confidentiality and privacy for each baby.
[Dad watching baby in care center]
Colleen Rodriguez:
We allow two people at the bedside at a time because of space. One of those has to be the parent. And we just ask that all visitors check in at the front desk before coming into the unit.
Jackie Nespral:
Anyone entering the unit must remove all rings, except plain wedding bands, and scrub their hands for two minutes. Prior to handling the baby or the baby's equipment, an alcohol hand rinse must be applied to further clean our hands. We do not come to work sick and we ask that you and your loved ones do the same to protect all babies in the NICU from infection.
Jackie Nespral:
Now, you probably want to know who are all these people caring for your baby. First, let's meet one of the doctors who specializes in caring for critically ill newborns, the neonatologist,.
Jorge Perez:
The neonatologists here at South Miami Hospital are here 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It was a good idea when we started over 15 years ago to be in-house to try to be here for our patients, and also, to address all the concerns and questions that the parents might have.
Jackie Nespral:
In the background, working diligently, you will see the nursing staff who are also an integral part of this team. They are the eyes and ears of the physicians, and they look forward to developing a very close relationship with you and your baby. The nurses report to the nurse manager, who also oversees all staff members in the unit, including the assistant nurse managers and the clinical nurse specialist. You're probably wondering right about now, what is a clinical nurse specialist? Well, this is a master prepared specialized nurse who works with the clinical staff to keep everyone updated on the latest cutting edge treatments and technologies. It's important for you to feel confident knowing that the nursing staff in the NICU has undergone additional training to specialize in the care of critically ill infants and they are all very competent to care for your infant.
Jackie Nespral:
Remember, even though the team is greatly involved in your baby's care, ultimately, this is your baby and you will be taking him home soon. We really need for you to stay involved in the baby's care and decision-making, so seize every opportunity to participate in the daily care, like baths and feedings.
Gail Bencomo:
Kangaroo care is the skin-to-skin contact between either mommy and baby or daddy and baby. It promotes good milk production with breastfeeding mommies. It also promotes good weight gain with very low birth weight babies, and it also creates a good bond between mommy and daddy.
Jackie Nespral:
Other members of the team include the social workers who are here to support you during this stressful time for you and your family, the respiratory therapist, who is specially trained to manage your baby's oxygen needs, the physical therapist and occupational therapist, who look for any developmental problems that may be developing and initiate early treatment to prevent complications.
Tessie Lobon:


[End Transcript, transcript too long]