NICU puts families, babies first

When Ashleigh VanDyke gave birth to her son Bryson at 32 weeks gestation, her son weighed less than 4 pounds.

VanDyke delivered Bryson at North Kansas City Hospital, and thanks to the hospital’s new neonatal intensive care unit, the Northland mom does not have to travel far to be with her infant.

North Kansas City Hospital became a level III neonatal intensive care facility in July. The hospital opened its new NICU in March, with ventilators, specialized IV lines and nurse practitioners on-site 24 hours a day.

North Kansas City Hospital’s enhanced NICU accommodates babies as early as 32 weeks. Before the renovations, North Kansas City Hospital had to transfer infants born at less than 34 weeks.

VanDyke said North Kansas City’s NICU enabled her to be closer to Bryson.

“I liked the fact that I got to see him while I was in the hospital,” VanDyke said.

North Kansas City’s NICU also provides private rooms for all of the infants.

“It’s nice to have the privacy,” Bryson’s father, Ryan Dunlap, said. “You can close the door and then it’s just us here.”

North Kansas City Director of Women’s Services Michele Malone, RN, said she has received positive feedback from parents who have had children in the NICU.

“It can be overwhelming to have a baby in the NICU,” Malone said. “Before we had this nursery it was harder on parents.”

North Kansas City’s NICU uses a collaborative approach for patient care. The neonatologists do rounds with nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers and respiratory therapists.

“We talk about everything that happens with the baby,” neonatologist Steve Olson, MD, said.

Malone said nurses throughout the unit appreciate the collaborative approach.

“It lets us, especially nurses, have a voice,” Malone said. “They are a very important part of the care team.”

NICU nurse Mary Weiss agrees. Weiss has worked in North Kansas City Hospital’s NICU for 30 years.

“I’m at the bedside; I know what the mom’s thinking,” Weiss said.

The collaborative rounds also enable parents to ask questions of members of the entire care team in one setting.

“Because we are collaborative, the parents can be a part of the team too,” Malone said.

NICU nurse Joy Bettis, RN, said the unit’s entire approach focuses on the infants and parents.

“The individual rooms really facilitate family-oriented care,” Bettis said.

When North Kansas City Hospital’s NICU transitioned from a level II facility to a level III facility, the nurses received training at Children’s Mercy Hospital.

“The education we had helped,” Weiss said. “With the nurse practitioners here it was a lot easier transition.”

The unit has a neonatologist nurse practitioner in the nursery at all times.

“They have a sleep room here and an office on the unit,” Malone said. “It’s a higher level of care than anywhere else in the Northland.”

VanDyke said she and Dunlap are happy that Bryson can receive this type of care in the Northland.

“We like everyone here,” VanDyke said.

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