In the Hurley Medical Center Level III NICU, caring for critically ill and premature newborns is just part of what we do. We also care very deeply about parents and siblings. Our entire NICU staff does everything we can to make them comfortable, help them rest, answer their questions, calm their fears, and teach them how to care for their new baby, during their hospital stay and after they take their baby home.

To make your stay in Hurley Medical Center’s NICU as pleasant as possible, we offer the following services:

Lockers

Lockers are available in the waiting area and just inside the NICU corridor and are available for daily use. For security, you may want to bring a combination lock with you when you visit each day.

Family Lounge Area

A family lounge area, staffed by volunteers, is available just outside the NICU for family members and friends to read or watch TV, and for children to play. (An adult needs to supervise children).

Overnight Rooms

As a transition between the hospital and home, we have two overnight rooms specifically designed for our NICU parents to learn how to care for their baby before discharge. We encourage parents to stay for 16-24 hour periods so they can perform the feedings and baby care themselves before they take their baby home. These rooms are also used when a baby is in critical condition and the mother needs to rest but should remain at the hospital, or when parents need private space for bereavement. Each room offers a homelike atmosphere and is equipped with a shower, refrigerator, and private bathroom.

Breastfeeding Rooms

These private rooms give new mothers a comfortable place to breastfeed, or to pump milk when their babies are not yet ready to breastfeed. Lactation consultants and nurses provide encouragement and assistance to help mothers collect and store breast milk until their baby can be breastfed. Refrigerators and a freezer are available in each NICU area to store breast milk. 

Child Life Services

The goal of Child Life Services is to help make a medical experience easier on a pediatric patient and his/her family. These caring specialists recognize that the NICU can be a scary place for children, especially the siblings of a premature or very sick baby. By talking to and playing with these children, our Child Life find ways to help them adjust to this new change in their family.

Foster Grandparent Program

Our Foster Grandparents are trained volunteers who give Level III NICU babies extra attention when mom is tending to her other children or resting. Foster Grandparents gently rock, read to, talk to, and comfort infants, all under the supervision of a NICU nurse.

Infant Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Classes

All mothers of infants being discharged with cardio respiratory monitoring will be given CPR training. This and other training classes are available through Hurley’s Parenting Program.

Pastoral Care

Our caring pastoral staff is always on-call and available at your request. Personal pastors or religious support professionals are always welcome, too, for additional emotional support.

Developmental Assessment Clinic/Bronchopulmonary Disease (BPD) Clinic

Hearing, Vision, and Metabolic newborn screenings are routine for all babies in Hurley’s NICU. In addition, our Development Assessment Clinic provides many follow-up services critical to the growth and development of your child. We will refer you to community services that can be helpful after your baby is discharged, as well as Hurley’s Bronchopulmonary Disease (BPD) Clinic which treats babies with lung damage resulting from premature birth.