Nursery & NICU

When you deliver a healthy baby at Virginia Hospital Center, you may choose to have your newborn stay with you in your private room—complete with daybed for your spouse, partner or other support person to stay over as you wish—or in the nursery. At those times when your son or daughter is in the nursery, he or she will be cared for by nursing professionals who administer medical care and tenderness in equal measure. It is completely at your discretion how frequently, and at what length, the baby stays in your room versus in the nursery.

Premature babies, those who become ill after birth or newborns with other special needs are cared for in our all-private-suite Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which opened in February 2006 after undergoing a $1.2 million renovation. Virginia Hospital Center is the first in the Washington, D.C. region to offer all private accommodations , which allow parents to stay with their newborns even after mothers are discharged and ensure that babies’ recovery and development are free of any unnecessary stimulation. Board certified neonatologists , neonatal nurse practitioners and other highly qualified nurses and developmental specialists work collaboratively with parents to optimize the care these delicate patients receive.

Whether your newborn is in your private room, the nursery or the NICU you can rest assured that he or she is safe. An advanced security system that includes wristbands with radiofrequency identifiers, video surveillance, and secured doors - as well as vigilant staff monitoring - makes certain that only the mother, one person that she designates, or a Women & Infant Health doctor or nurse may take the baby out of your room, the nursery or the NICU.