Our Unit:
The 9AB Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at TriHealth Good Samaritan Hospital is a specialized 60-bed unit dedicated to providing high-risk neonates with the level III NICU care they need. The unit is committed to a family-centered developmental care approach, ensuring that both the infants and their families receive the support they need during this critical time. The NICU provides highly technical care, including cardiac, respiratory, and hemodynamic monitoring, as well as ventilator support for neonates requiring specialized intervention.
Staffing in the 9AB NICU is carefully structured to ensure optimal care for these vulnerable patients. Each shift includes a charge nurse and a team of staff nurses. A manager and assistant nurse manager are available on call each shift and care coordinators are on the unit dayshift Monday through Saturday.
Orientation for new staff in the NICU follows a Competency-Based Orientation (CBO) model, including an online didactic component. The orientation period ranges from 8 to 12 weeks, depending on the nurse's previous experience. The unit also offers NICU Nurse Residency Program for all new NICU nurses.
NICU experience is preferred for new hires, but the unit is also open to new graduates who are eager to learn and grow. All nurses are required to complete the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) and the S.T.A.B.L.E. program by the end of their first year of employment to ensure they are fully prepared to provide the highest standard of care.