All NICU nurses must scrub before caring for their patients to reduce infection. Depending on the acuity level, age, and strict feeding schedule, NICU nurses care for one to three babies at a time, usually during a 12-hour shift.
NICU nurses provide specialized care based on the level of care for the infant.
Level 1: Well newborns only need basic care.
Level 2: Special care of early-born infants born before 32 weeks with low weight and mild health problems. Nurses may provide IV antibiotics, phototherapy, and other support.
Level 3: Life support for infants born before 32 weeks of gestation, weighing less than 1500g, or who have severe medical/surgical conditions. These neonates require assisted ventilation, cardiopulmonary monitoring, lab work tracking, temperature monitoring, and may require advanced imaging scans.
Level 4: Require regional NICU designated facilities possessing a comprehensive medical team capable of providing surgical care of complex medical and surgical conditions 24 hours a day. Local hospitals transfer their sickest patients here. In addition, level 4 centers can provide advanced respiratory support such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and perform complex surgeries. These babies may or may not be premature but have severe medical or surgical needs. They receive all the care in level 3 plus may need the care of two nurses at a time.
NICU nurses may also go to the OR directly to admit a new infant and meet the parents after a C-section or emergency delivery.
