How full is your NICU usually?

[adpiRN]

I just started a new job in L&D and the NICU is next door so we walked through on my tour.

It's a 36 bed level III NICU. It felt empty! Entire rooms were empty. I would guess there were about 12 babies there. Is this common?

This particular NICU is across the street from a level IV NICU affiliated with a children's hospital. They also have an L&D floor. I wonder if most of the high risk births in the area end up going across the street because of the higher level NICU, leaving ours half empty most of the time.

I want to work NICU someday and I'm trying to decide which one would be a better one to start at.

(Though I know the answer is whichever offers me a job :))

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Ours is packed to the gills all the time. In fact, they just added 12 'step-down' type beds. But we are the largest NICU in the state and do the most high risk deliveries in the state.

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

I interviewed at a Level IV NICU yesterday and they had 93 out of 101 beds full.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I interviewed at a Level IV NICU yesterday and they had 93 out of 101 beds full.

St. V???? :)

[tinkerbell419]

Im not sure about your unit. Unless its short staffed they would be reducing the amount of babies admitted to the unit. I work on a level 2 with low, high and itu beds and we have been at full capacity.

I reckon if there's a children's hospital over the road then that's where their being shipped too as they can deal with the more complex cases there.

Believe me units change over time. It may be busy one minute and quiet the next. Things such as staffing will impact on number of babies on a hnit as well as other things.

[tinkerbell419]

I think level 2 is a good place to start just to wrap your head around caring for a baby and you cpuld start at a lower level and gain confidence. There is a danger of going straight into the deep end and sinking a bit. Its entirely up to you wjat you want to do. Nicu can be a bit different to most thi gs even paediatrics as everything is different like feeds, fluids, calculations so perhaps try and tread one step at a time rather than going straight into the fire. You can pick and choose a level that your happy with

[NICUmiiki, DNP, NP]

The unit I'm trying to get on has 72 beds and is usually packed. They are working on an 18 bed addition. It's a Level 3 with its own neonatal operating room/PACU in it. I have a feeling they are trying to become level 4 and just need the physicians.

[guest769224]

I work in a Level IV - 55 bed.

We are usually at 45 patient capacity.

[HyperSaurus, RN, BSN]

Level III--19ish beds? We're a small regional center. Anyways, we have 14 right now.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

Level IV with 41 beds....usually 75% or more full, though lately it seems we have been packed and overflowing.

[katierobin23]

Level 3 (we do everything except surgery and ecmo), 56 beds officially...we typically have about 50-55. The most I've ever seen is 67. (Most of our semi-private rooms have the capacity for 4 babies, but the official count is based on having 2 per room)

[VintageSwagger]

Level IV w/ 76 beds and we have been averaging over 70 for quite a while. We also have another 80 or so beds in our level II and III and they are both relatively full as well.