Congratulations on the birth of your baby! We encourage you to be involved with your baby as much as you can. To provide a safe, restful, and comforting environment, we have set up the following guidelines for visiting your baby. You will be asked for your identification bracelet number when you visit or call to receive an update on your infant. The NICU phone number is: 828-326-2286 or 828-326-2117.
- Parents and visitors are welcome in the NICU. However, you may be asked to leave during certain procedures, admissions, and emergency situations or at the discretion of the nurse or physician. You may wait in the waiting room and a staff member will update you and bring you back into the NICU as soon as possible.
- The NICU is open for visitation for parents and approved adult support persons 24 hours a day. We especially encourage our families to participate in the handoff process at the change of shifts (at 7:00am and 7:00pm) as well as during physician rounds, which occur between 10:00am and 11:00am daily.
- Additional adult support persons may visit without parents present after obtaining written consent. Support persons may not bring in other visitors. A parent must accompany all other visitors; visitors need to be at least 16 years old. Only 3 people are allowed at the bedside at a time. Ministers may visit anytime with the parent’s permission.
- Siblings of the admitted baby (2 years and older) may visit when accompanied by a parent or support person. Parents should screen siblings for symptoms of illness and recent exposure to infectious diseases as well as history of recent illness. Siblings must stay at their baby’s bedside.
- Parents, family, and visitors are asked to refrain from visiting during times of illness. This includes fever, rashes, runny nose, cough, vomiting and diarrhea or open wounds. The NICU may limit visitation as necessary during cold/flu/RSV season and outbreaks of other illnesses as infants are at a greater risk for infection. This may include restricting visitation from siblings. Please refer to posted signage within the unit regarding visitation restrictions.
- Upon entering the NICU, please wash hands with soap and water, followed by the hospital approved waterless hand scrub located at the sink. Alcohol-based cleanser or hand washing can be used between visits. All visitors should check with infant’s nurse before touching or holding infant. No food is allowed in NICU.
- Pictures and video recordings are allowed of your baby.
- We ask that you and your visitors remain at your baby’s bedside. The nurse will not be able to answer questions about the other babies in the NICU. This is to help in maintaining confidentiality.
- CVMC does not restrict, limit, or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.
- Please do not go into another patient’s room or by another baby’s bedside.
The entire Level III NICU staff is here to help in caring for your baby. We encourage you to participate in your baby’s care. If you have questions or concerns, please ask to speak with the director.