Quiet floors, private rooms and the most modern medical equipment for newborns all contribute to a safe, comfortable environment in the new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Critical Care Hospital.
Created with input from VCU Medical Center staff and based on years of research into the developmental needs of premature and critically ill newborns, each room of the 40-bed NICU sets the stage for a positive healing environment for patients and their families.
“I call these ‘single-family’ rooms because it is integral in the care of any critically ill newborn to get the family engaged from the start,” said Sharon Cone, RN, nurse manager of the neonatal ICU. “We wanted to create an environment that was not only functionally efficient for medical staff, but also would encourage interaction between parents and their baby in a calm and comforting way.”
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