Family and Developmental Care

(1061) Surging Away: Increasing Capacity in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit through the Creation of a Family Growth and Development Unit during the COVID-19 Surge

Poster Presenter(s)

Lindsay M. D'Angelo, MSN, RN, RNC-NIC, CCRN

Professional Development Director Neonatal ICU
Tufts Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Co-Author(s)

Joy Hilliard, BSN, RN, RNC-NIC

Clinical Nurse Leader NICU
Tufts Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Brenda Tanguay, MS, RN

Clinical Nursing Director NICU
Tufts Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Molly Simeone, MSN, RN, RNC-NIC

NICU Staff RN
Tufts Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
KD

Kathleen DeBartolomeis, BSN, RN

NICU Staff RN
Tufts Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
CH

Camille Hally, BSN, RN

NICU Staff RN
Tufts Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
AC

Alecia Carmody, MSN, RN

NICU Staff RN
Tufts Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Kristen Hill, BSN, RN, RNC-NIC

NICU Staff RN
Tufts Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Christine Lavoie, BSN, RN

NICU Staff RN
Tufts Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Kathleen Glass, RN

Clinical Nurse Leader NICU
Tufts Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, ventilators were in desperate need and the Tufts Children's Hospital NICU was able to accommodate additional babies from other institutions due to the primary use of bubble CPAP. The TCH also had to prepare to take potential PUI babies but due to the pod design of the NICU, that further limited bed space availability. The TCH NICU opened an additional six bed spaces in order to take patients from these institutions while maintaining a census that was already at an all-time high. Other institutions around the city moved to bubble CPAP after this experience and it was a great way the city of Boston worked together innovatively and collaboratively across institutions in order to ensure every baby who required NICU care was able to receive it.

Learning Objectives:

Identify the unique challenges of caring for neonates during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Understand the teamwork and collaboration required to coordinate care between several busy NICUs at the height of the COVID-19 surge.