May 3, 2021
Well-equipped spaces such as this single patient room in the new David Schiff NICU at the Stollery Children’s Hospital afford more privacy and comfort for families.
Story by Marni Kuhlmann | Photo by Evan Isbister
Families have now settled into the new David Schiff neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Stollery Children’s Hospital.
The new unit includes18 beds in single or double patient rooms, providing a quiet setting for infants. That allows for better sleep, which promotes better healing and better brain health. The individual rooms also promote infection prevention and control. The biggest advantage though, is more privacy and space for patients and family members who stay overnight, sometimes for weeks at a time, as their newborns recover from surgery.
“They’re not just mom and dad, they are also part of the care team,” says Sarah Bieganak, patient care manager, David Schiff NICU. “They’re included in rounds, they’re involved in decision-making around their children; we don’t make decisions for them, we make decisions with them. They’re not just welcome here, it is their space.”
Families were involved in every step of the planning and design of the new unit, helping to build an intensive care space that will improve the healthcare journey for patients and families. Karen Calhoun was part of that design team. Her son, Jed, spent most of his first year in the Stollery, including many weeks in intensive care. She has since become a Stollery Patient and Family Centred Care (PFCC) family advisor.
“When you’re in these spaces, you have one of the sickest children in western Canada. You and your family are in crisis,” says Calhoun. “So what do families need to become part of that collaborative team? If you’re going to be at your best at your child’s bedside, you need to take care of yourself and have spaces to retreat to in order to become an effective member of that team. When a nurse is able to say to them there’s a kitchen if you want to go have a cup of coffee and take a little break, it’s naturally woven into the system. They’ll feel the support.”
The David Schiff NICU redevelopment is the final phase of a $54.7M project to develop and expand the critical care units at the Stollery. The Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation provided an additional $5.5 million to fund comfort items for families including sleeping rooms, family lounges, sibling spaces and a laundry room.
“It really has become a more holistic approach to caring for a critically ill baby,” says Dr Chloe Joynt, medical director, David Schiff NICU. “The parents are active participants in that care. We are not just caring for the condition the baby came in with, we’re caring for the baby and the family as a whole — and that really does improve those long-term outcomes.”
