neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)

Respiratory therapist Melanie Walker now works at Children’s Hospital helping NICU patients with breathing needs.
February 3, 2022

Respiratory therapist was once a neonatal intensive care unit patient

Melanie Walker knows was once a patient in Vanderbilt’s neonatal intensive care unit. Today, she’s a respiratory therapist at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

By Jessica Pasley
January 13, 2022

Melanie Walker started life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Now she works there helping tiny babies breathe.

“I could be an example that there is a way to get better.”

By Jessica Pasley
December 16, 2021

“Pin” Schnabel began her career as a surgeon, and went back to school to become a nurse practitioner. Her tiny patients benefit from her experience every day.

What would make a physician go back to school to become a nurse practitioner?

By Jessica Pasley
December 2, 2021

The Yazdani sisters are triplets by birth, proud VUMC nurses by choice

Sousan, Sohayla and Setareh Yazdani are 22-year-old triplets who all work as nurses at VUMC. They agree that they always wanted to pursue their careers at Vanderbilt.

By Emily Stembridge
April 22, 2021

Study seeks to increase volume-targeted ventilation use

For more than two decades, evidence has accrued that the use of volume-targeted ventilation (VTV) results in better outcomes in neonates who require mechanical ventilation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

By Jessica Pasley
February 18, 2021

Who is that masked man?

Frank Nix of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit finds a way to connect with patient families with his custom face covers

By Jessica Pasley
January 20, 2021

Certified neonatal therapists address babies’ special needs

Certified neonatal therapists are not common, as there are only approximately 500 of these specialized professionals in the world. Fortunately, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt has two on staff.
By Jessica Pasley
May 6, 2020

Unplanned extubations in preterm infants studied

Unplanned extubations (UEs) in adult and pediatric populations have long been associated with poor clinical outcomes and increased costs to health care systems.
By Jessica Pasley
March 11, 2020

The NICU Interdisciplinary Mock Code Work Group knows every second counts in a code response to save critically ill patients’ lives.

The work group, which calls a mock code twice a month to give team members as much practice as possible, has managed to cut the response time to a code in half, from about 143 seconds to 77 seconds.
By Nancy Humphrey
March 5, 2020

Big Machine Neighborhood debuts in new NICU space

Big Machine Label Group (BMLG), a longtime supporter of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, recently celebrated the opening of the Big Machine Neighborhood, a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) wing on the new 11th floor of the hospital.
By Christina Echegaray
March 4, 2020

New Children’s Hospital space expands NICU care

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt will house one of the largest Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) in the country with this week’s opening of its newest inpatient space on the 11th floor.
By Jessica Pasley
March 2, 2020

VUMC welcomes seven Leap Day babies

Neonatal nurse practitioner Wendy Araya, a Feb. 29 baby herself, offers advice to the latest leaplings
By Jessica Pasley
September 11, 2019

Reunion to celebrate former NICU patients, families

On Sunday, Sept. 15, 176 families — approximately 600 people — will gather in the theater of Children’s Hospital from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to reminisce, hug members of their care teams and celebrate their children’s graduation from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
By Jessica Pasley