Parents or legal guardians can visit 24 hours per day; there are no scheduled visiting hours. All other visitors require permission by parents or legal guardians.
Only three visitors are permitted at the bedside at any time; however, exceptions may be approved by a manager or charge nurse.
Families and visitors are required to check in at the welcome desk before entering the unit, identifying themselves and the baby they’d like to see. Siblings are also welcome and must be signed in once a day when visiting.
Other children less than 12 years of age are not permitted into the patient care area.
Parents or guardians are welcome to stay through the night; however, we cannot always provide sleeping accommodations directly next to their baby. For more information, connect with a member of our Social Work team.
After removing all hand jewelry, hand washing is required upon entry and exit of the unit. It is also required whenever you leave or enter your babies’ bed space and prior to touching your baby to help prevent the spread of infections.
Anyone with a fever, cough, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea, or a communicable disease (like chickenpox) should not visit our unit.
The Philip C. Etches Stollery NICU at the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) is located on the 5th floor of the diagnostic treatment center.
From the main entrance of the RAH, walk straight in to the atrium and take the glass elevators to the 5th floor. Walk straight down the hallway and you will see a sign that says Neonatal Intensive Care.
Turn left there and follow the hallway to the NICU welcome desk.
The family care unit is located on the 5th floor (5 west) of the Robbins Pavilion. From the main entrance of the RAH, go up the glass elevators to the 2nd floor. Walk all the way down the hallway into the Robbins Pavilion.
Walk until you see elevators then go up to the 5th floor .You must push a buzzer to gain entry.
An NICU health care team consisting of physicians, nurses, and many other healthcare disciplines will begin working with you and your baby as soon as they arrive on our unit. You will be introduced to your baby’s health care providers and have an orientation to the unit and our general routines. You will also be given an information package including your baby’s Patient ID number (which you will need if telephoning the unit for information or an update).
Having a baby in the NICU is often unplanned and can be an overwhelming experience for families. We welcome all of your questions and concerns and know that there are a variety of support resources available to meet your needs. We encourage you to speak to member of your health care team, a social worker, or ask to be connected with the Family Centered Care program at the Stollery.
Being discharged from hospital and taking your premature baby home for the first time can be overwhelming. Your medical team may have referred you to the Neonatal Home Support Team. We are a team of Registered Nurses, a speech language pathologist, a neonatal nurse practitioner and a neonatologist who can offer resources and support to help with your transition home.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is striving to improve all aspects of care for our patients and their families at the Philip C. Etches Stollery NICU at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
To ensure that we are providing the best care possible for our patients and their families, we ask that you provide your valuable feedback in this short survey.
All responses are anonymous. The data will be compiled and analyzed by a third party and only overall results will be presented to the NICU health care providers.
