About Us
The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Children’s Nebraska is staffed 24/7 with pediatric intensivists, nurses and other providers trained in caring for critically ill children. Pediatric medical and surgical experts throughout the hospital are also available and called in as needed.
Children’s award-winning PICU is home to Nebraska’s only pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program — a treatment used to support children during the recovery period after heart surgery or while waiting for a lung or heart transplant — and many other advanced technologies and treatments.
Well-defined processes are essential to providing the best care possible and ensuring safe, positive outcomes. To prevent infections, we follow a strict hand hygiene protocol and use leading-edge procedures to limit hospital-acquired conditions such as central line infections and pressure sores.
Because we believe families should be at the center of each child’s care, we perform family-centered rounds and provide tablets to help you stay connected to your child’s nurse and view test results 24/7. We also offer emotional support during your child’s PICU stay and have pediatric experts on hand to help you navigate the hospital.
Contact Us
Children are referred to the PICU from their provider or are brought here directly after surgery or treatment in the emergency department. We do not take appointments, and it is not a walk-in clinic.
Conditions We Treat
Our PICU provides expert care for a wide range of serious conditions including:
Meet Our Providers
Children’s PICU is staffed with pediatric providers, nurses and other team members trained in the care of children with life-threatening conditions. Get to know your child’s expert care team:
Treatments and Services
All children in the PICU are closely monitored during their stay. Nurses continuously check vital signs such as heart rate, breathing and blood pressure.
Specific treatment varies based on the child’s illness and individual needs. Options may include:
Related Specialties
Emergency Medicine
What Sets Us Apart
Expert Care
Our pediatric intensivists are on top of the last breakthroughs in treatment and our dedicated critical care transport team is on-call 24/7 to bring children to the PICU from all over the country.
Team Approach
At Children’s, your child has a whole team of pediatric experts collaborating to help them heal. We include families every step of the way.
Innovative Technologies
Our PICU is home to Nebraska’s only pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program and we use advanced tools sized specifically for infants and children.
Awards and Honors
Children’s is proud to receive national recognition for our dedication to providing the highest quality pediatric care. Our programs and our people are what sets us apart.
ELSO Gold Level Center of Excellence
Our PICU is home to Nebraska’s only pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program, and we’re recognized by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) as a Gold Level Center of Excellence. This designation recognizes programs with the highest level of performance, innovation, satisfaction and quality in ECMO care.
Gold Beacon Award
Children’s is recognized by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses as a critical care center with excellent patient outcomes exceeding national benchmarks. We are one of only 11 PICUs in the country and the only PICU in the region to receive this award.