NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT
For Patients
FAMILY CENTERED CARE PROGRAM: "TALK ABOUT IT" TUESDAYS
The staff of the NICU is empowered to reach out to families and provide them with much needed informational resources and community service. Families are allowed to visit the babies in the NICU at any time of the day. The program supports scrapbooking sessions where families are encouraged to reflect on their babies and their experiences, as well as providing kits with soap, shampoo and other toiletries for parents who are trying to make the NICU a home away from home. Every Tuesday from 5pm to 7pm, one of our dedicated nurses runs a drop in parent education class. As your baby gets ready to go home, they have a check list to go through. This class will help parents feel comfortable with changing diapers, giving baths, mixing feedings, and giving medication. This can make all the difference for families living with stress of having a baby in the intensive care unit.
LACTATION
Breast milk provides essential nutrition to infants and has an important role in the care of hospitalized newborns. Our NICU recognizes the importance of breast milk and breastfeeding to infant health. The Lactation Support Program works with mothers to establish a milk supply by teaching mothers how to use breast pumps and hand expression. Our Lactation program is coordinated by a dedicated Lactation Consultant with extensive Neonatal and MCH nursing experience. We provide educational services to our healthcare team by using the most current scientific evidence based practice to promote optimal outcomes for our patients.
What you can expect from lactation:
- One-on-one consultations to assist with complex breastfeeding need
- Offer hospital-grade electric breast pump and training on its use
- Instructions for labeling and storing milk
- Up-to-date and evidence-based information and advice
- Ongoing assessment of mothers milk supply
We provide mothers' support groups held every Wednesday 10:00am - 11:00am
ADDRESS:
750 S Bascom Avenue, Suite 140
PHONE:
INFANT AND CHILDREN BIOETHICS SUBCOMMITTEE
Infant and Children bioethics Committee serves as an advisory group for hospital staff, patients, their families, and surrogates who are making difficult ethical decisions related to patient care. The committee advises providers and families caring for children less than 18 years of age and provides assistance and resources for decisions with bioethical implications. The ICBC does not, however, make decisions. Rather, it educates members of the hospital community with regard to bioethical issues and dilemmas and facilitates communication among members of the hospital community, caregivers and family members.
NICVIEW- BABY CAMS
Here at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center we know being separated from your newborn is challenging, so we want to do everything we can to support bonding with your baby especially during the times when you are not able to be here. Nicview, a secure online portal, is an innovative small camera system placed at bed spaces in the NICU that allows parents, family and friends to view their infant in real time. Only parents, or those provided with the username and password, have access to view the baby. Nicview does not require any software downloads or plug-ins. If you can access the Internet, you can use Nicview.
SPIRITUAL CARE
Santa Clara Valley Medical Spiritual Care Department provides non-denominational support and consultation for families and staff in NICU. Multi-faith chaplains and volunteers are available to offer empathic listening and universal prayer in English, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Chinese, Hindi, and Punjabi. Bibles, sacred texts, reflection booklets, devotional holy cards, prayer beads, rosaries, peace dolls and chant boxes available on request. NICU celebrates an "Evening of Remembrance" bi-yearly in September to honor young lives.
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SPIRITUAL CARE FOR NURSES: CODE LAVENDAR-“CARING FOR THE CARE GIVERS”
The NICU team has adopted and integrated a holistic approach to caring for their staff. A newly decorated room offers any staff member a calm atmosphere to pause, breathe, and regain inner balance when they have reached their emotional limit. The "Zen Den" is supplied with lavender lotion, meditation aides, and lavender wristbands to remind staff that they matter and are never alone.
BABIES REACHING IMPROVED DEVELOPMENT & GROWTH IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT (BRIDGE) PROGRAM
The BRIDGE Program serves to optimize each family's transition from NICU to home with compassionate, family-centered, evidence-based, fiscally responsible, quality preventative home care. This program supports NICU graduates by bridging the gap between hospital and the family's medical home after discharge. The BRIDGE program was developed by Rupalee Patel, DNP, IBCLC, a pediatric nurse practitioner at our hospital. BRIDGE is currently comprised of 4 pediatric nurse practitioners who serve at-risk babies in the well-baby nursery post-discharge, in addition to all NICU graduates.
HIGH-RISK INFANT FOLLOW-UP (HRIF) CLINIC
This clinic provides developmental follow-up for children from birth to age three, designated as high risk due to prematurity, low birth weight, or other developmental risk. Early identification and referrals for early intervention for children at risk for neuro-developmental and neurobehavioral delay are also provided. Our multidisciplinary team is led by pediatric nurse practitioners and includes senior health service representative, developmental testing specialist, physical therapist, nurse coordinator and social worker. The team sees all families in the clinic and coordinates observations into a comprehensive assessment and set of recommendations for each patient.