Special Care Nursery

Level II Special Care Nursery: Dedicated Care for Infants

All of the nurseries at Franciscan Health are staffed by excellent nurses and doctors dedicated to caring for infants in their first days. When infants need a higher level of care, they may be transferred to our Level II special care nursery. Special care nurseries (SCN) have all the capabilities of a standard, Level I nursery with the addition of board-certified neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, pediatric hospitalists and state-of-the-art neonatal technology.

When does a baby need SCN care?

Infants who are moderately ill with problems that are expected to resolve quickly are often transferred to a special care nursery. These patients are at moderate risk of serious complications related to immaturity, illness and/or their management.

Special care nurseries:

• Provide care for infants born at 32 weeks or later with infections, respiratory issues or other medical complications.
• Provide care for infants who need time to properly eat and grow stronger or are convalescing after intensive care.
• Provide mechanical ventilation for a brief duration (<24 hours) or continuous positive airway pressure.
• Stabilize infants born before 32-week gestation until transfer to a neonatal intensive-care facility.

Some of our special care nurseries can initiate ventilation or provide mechanical ventilation for brief periods. If an infant needs continuous ventilation they will need to be transferred to a Level III NICU.