Basic Infant Care

• An NICU nurse provides all elements of basic care to their infants: feeding, bathing, changing diapers, and administering medications. This basic care is more challenging with a tiny or sick infant who may be hooked up to IVs or ventilators, which is one reason that the NICU nurse requires special training. The NICU nurse generally has only one to four infants under his care at a time, allowing for close, constant monitoring of the infant's condition, progress and individual needs. The nurse may also be responsible for post-operative care for infants requiring surgical procedures.
  
  

Working with Physicians and Therapists

• NICU nurses also work closely with neonatal pediatricians, respiratory therapists, and other neonatal specialists to formulate a treatment plan for each infant. The nurse is responsible for the day-to-day implementation of this plan, and acts as an advocate for the baby as well as an intermediary among all the specialists involved. Because the NICU nurse spends the most time with the infant, her ability to communicate with all of the specialists is vital to providing critical information and a consistency of care. Doctors rely on the observations and progress reports that the NICU nurses provide, and will often include the NICU nurse in all discussions of treatment and in reading and interpreting test results.
  
  

Providing High-Tech Care

• The NICU is a unit filled with the latest medical technology and equipment needed to support the life of newborn babies. There are computers for EKGs and EEGs, ventilators, positive-pressure airway devices, feeding tubes, IV tubes for medications, radiant heat lamps, and an assortment of monitors to keep track of the infant's heart rate, breathing and body temperature. The NICU nurse must know how to use this technology and be able to make constant adjustments needed in the treatment of the baby. They must manage the feeding tubes and administration of medication, and constantly check monitors and readouts to determine the baby's status and progress. They also often work with physicians to interpret the data and make adjustments to the treatment plan.
  
  

Supporting Parents

• Having a baby in the NICU can be a very difficult situation for the parents of the sick child. The baby is often hooked up to a bewildering number of machines and tubes, and the infant's status can change hourly from stable to critical and back to stable again. One of the most important responsibilities of the NICU nurse, after caring for the infant, is the role she plays in supporting the parents and communicating with them daily on all aspects of their baby's care and progress. The nurse can explain the treatment plan and the technology, and generally provide some peace of mind to anxious parents.