Transition to an Individual-Room NICU Design: Process and Outcome Measures

Redesign of a neonatal intensive care unit is a major budget undertaking, demanding accountability for its equipment and feasibility of design. It must be philosophically based and driven by research supporting best practice. The NICU at the Magee-Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a Level III, 74-bed unit, has made the change from a ward design to an individualroom design suitable for family-centered, developmentally supportive care. This article presents the design process as it occurred. Unique to this process are the involvement of NICU-graduate families and the use of transition teams. Guidelines and recommendations are offered to others interested in designing and practicing in an individualroom NICU. Outcome data demonstrate staff adjustment to the new design and practice model. A comparison of this NICU design is made with the Recommended Standards for Newborn ICU Design.