Departments

Inpatient Nursing

    • Intermediate Care Unit
  • Included in our Medical/Surgical Unit, located on the third floor, are 12 beds specifically equipped for Intermediate Care patients. Here staff manage patients that are highly complex with acute and chronic diseases or injuries needing continuous monitoring and support.
  • RNs hired into the Medical/Surgical Unit also care for Intermediate Care patients. A 1:3 nurse to patient ratio for Intermediate Care Patients allows for more hands on time with each patient.
  • Their Unit Based Council is committed to improving patient outcome through evidence-based practice and the patient experience.
    • No Pass Zone.
    • Transport Questionnaire.
    • Noise reduction.
    • Endo Tool.
    • Standardized pre-op and post-op teaching.
  • To meet both the physical and psychological health of our patients, the shared governance team piloted Virtual Visitation.
    • Medical/Surgical Units 2 & 3
  • Our active Medical/Surgical Units (MSU2 & MSU3) care for patients admitted directly or through the Emergency Department, Surgical Services or transfers from the ICU.
  • RNs hired into the Medical/Surgical Unit also care for Intermediate Care patients.
  • The Medical/Surgical Units have a total of 41 beds (including Intermediate Care) on the third floor and 16 beds on the second floor. Registered Nurses caring for Medical/Surgical patients have a staffing ratio of 4 patients to 1 nurse.
  • Our staff cares for patients with dialysis, telemetry, orthopedic injuries, bariatric surgery, and general surgery, as well as, patients recovering from brain injury and stroke.
  • The MSU Unit Based Council is committed to improving patient outcomes through evidence-based practice and the patient experience by championing innovation and patient education.
    • New Onset Diabetes Education.
    • Virtual Visitation.
    • No Pass Zone.
  • The newly acquired Masimo system allows for continuous vital sign monitoring at the bedside and central monitors.
    • Mental Health Unit
  • Natividad’s Mental Health Unit (MHU) focuses on treating and managing acute mental illness for individuals with depression, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia.
  • This acute inpatient unit is a locked unit with 1:6 nursing supervision that provides safe care for 18 patients with an interdisciplinary team.
  • We offer voluntary and involuntary care pathways towards recovery through group therapy and education regarding diagnosis, medications and coping strategies.
  • Staff and patient safety are always a primary focus with 24 hour a day security personnel, personal alarm buttons, 15 minute rounding on patients, a Code Team, AVADE training, and closed circuit television monitoring.
  • To best meet the psychological and physical needs of the patients, the MHU’s Unit Based Council developed RN Facilitated Therapy Groups. These activities are designed to engage the spirit, mind and body, and they include Zumba, gardening, healthy meal preparation, journaling, pet therapy, meditation and mindfulness.
    • Float Pool

Natividad has a robust Nursing Float Pool that supports several areas of patient care. This provides nurses with opportunities to care for a wide variety and type of patients, expanding their knowledge and expertise in nursing practice. Some of the units where Float Pool Nurses provide nursing care are:

  • Critical Care.
    • Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
    • Intermediate Care Unit (IMC).
  • Acute Care.
    • Acute Rehab Unit (ARU).
    • Mental Health Unit (MHU).
    • Medical Surgical Unit (MSU).

Our Resource Nurse positions are also a part of our Nursing Float Pool. This unique position has the responsibility of efficient patient flow, accuracy in paperwork, and smooth shift transitions. The ability to think creatively and problem solve will be necessary in this role.

    • Surgical Services – Surgery
  • Surgical Services encompasses Inpatient and Outpatient care.
  • Four preoperative bays, five surgical suites and four PACU bays are used to care for patients from general surgery to trauma, orthopedics to ocular. Our intra-disciplinary surgical team consists of surgeons, anesthesia, nurses and technicians who care for patients of all ages.
  • The surgical nursing team facilitates care beginning with intake from other departments to the holding area, to surgery, to post-anesthesia care and discharging patients home or transferring them to units within the hospital.
  • Our Unit Based Council has been essential in instituting a new tracking system for allograft tissues and implementing the Share Point communication tool.
    • Labor & Delivery
  • Our team of nurses, obstetricians and technicians support families from the beginning to the completion of each pregnancy with antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum care. In the eight bed unit, nursing care is a 1:2 ratio with a charge nurse and unit clerk support, including 24 hour physician coverage.
  • During intrapartum management, exceedingly skilled nurses care for low and high risk laboring patients delivering vaginally or via cesarean section. To assist with patient comfort, 24 hour epidural services are available.
  • With our own surgical and recovery services, the new family stays together for bonding via skin-to-skin/Kangaroo Care and initiation of breast feeding during the 2 hour recovery period.
  • Staff are certified and skilled in:
    • IV management.
    • Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP).
    • Fetal Monitoring and fetal strip interpretation.
    • ACLS and BLS certification.
    • EMTALA competency.
  • Unit Based Council initiatives include:
    • Skin to skin in the OR.
    • O EROS to decrease the use of opiates during intrapartum and postpartum management.
    • Mother Infant Unit
  • A seamless transition to postpartum care continues from Labor & Delivery to the Mother Infant Unit (MIU) with another team of nurses trained to support the entire family in caring for their new member.
  • This 19 bed unit promotes family centered care at 1:3 or 1:4 couplet staffing.
  • Nurses are skilled in both maternal and newborn assessment and management, including:
    • Baby Friendly Guidelines with skin-to-skin in the OR Post Cesarean Section.
    • Hearing Screening for infants.
    • Lactation Support.
    • Late preterm infant care.
  • The Unit Based Council has been active in developing Postpartum Depression Screening and order sets for enhanced recovery and antepartum trauma.
    • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
  • Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is California Children’s Services certified and licensed for 15 beds to care for critically ill neonates to growing newborns.
  • A team of Neonatologists, Neonatal Nurse Practitioners, skilled neonatal nurses, respiratory therapists, developmental therapist and ancillary support staff collaborate to manage patients.
  • As a level 3 NICU, we provide neonatal transport from lower acuity NICUs to Natividad, back transfers, and from Natividad to higher level of care as needed.
  • Our dynamic Unit Based Council and Critical Concepts Medical Team have worked to implement the following:
    • Standardized orders for admission, critical care, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and prematurity.
    • Revised parent teaching books to improve communication during their stay.
    • Addition of a Road to Home Pathway to facilitate discharge teaching.
    • Revised TPN management.
    • Collaboration for breast milk tracking and delivery.
    • Pediatric Unit
  • At Natividad, our pediatric patients are family. With 12 beds, our CCS Certified Pediatric Unit includes specially trained pediatric nurses care for newly born to adolescents and young adults.
  • The pediatric nurses have 24/7 access to in-house pediatric hospitalists and family practice physicians to collaborate with and coordinate patient care of medical and surgical patients.
  • Carefully decorated playrooms offer patients a sense of home with a kitchenette area for families to prepare their child a meal and a lounge space with developmentally appropriate toys and activities.
  • The Unit Based Council has been vital to creating homey spaces and age appropriate meals that are perfect for children of all ages. Additional projects include:
    • Communication binder.
    • Pediatric nurse onboarding.
    • Daily patient rounds with residents.

Outpatient Nursing

    • Emergency Department/Trauma

Our Emergency Department team meets the needs of the community as a fast paced Emergency Department and Level II Trauma Center for Monterey County.
The multidiscipline team uses state-of-the-art equipment and therapies to stabilize and treat everything from minor injuries to acute illness, chronic diseases, trauma and more.

The Emergency Department/Trauma team are highly trained and receive ongoing training in:

  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support.
  • Pediatric Advanced Life Support.
  • Trauma Nurse Care Curriculum (TNCC).
  • Crisis Prevention Intervention Institute (CPI) certification.
  • Monterey County Emergency Preparedness.

Our Unit Based Council has been focusing on:

  • Discharge Assessments.
  • Pediatric Sepsis.
  • Triage assessment.
  • Team discharge.
  • Code Stat Assist.
    • Antenatal Testing Clinic

The Antenatal Testing Clinic is staffed by Labor and Delivery Nurses to assess and monitor mothers who are high-risk due to:

  • Advanced maternal age.
  • Pregnancy complications.
  • Underlying medical conditions.

The team works closely with the physician team to review non-stress and amniotic fluid indexes to plan and implement care.

    • Cardiovascular Services

To meet the needs of our growing community, Natividad has expanded its Cardiovascular Service line to encompass Interventional Radiology and the Cardiovascular Specialty Clinics

This service line will begin with outreach reach programs designed to protect the hearts of our community including:

  • Pacemaker Clinic.
  • Coagulation Clinics.
  • Electrophysiology Clinic.
  • All non-invasive testing services.

The collaboration of cardiologists and nursing has the expertise to keep the community healthy and well through:

  • Prevention and wellness programs.
  • Disease management with the Heart Failure Care.
  • Full diagnostics.
  • Recovery treatment options.
    • Outpatient Surgical Services – Endoscopy

Endoscopy nursing staff work closely with the physician team to assist with:

  • Bronchoscopies.
  • Esophagogastroduodenscopies (EGDs).
  • Colonoscopies.

Specialized training for the nursing team includes management for various sedation modalities, pre and post-procedure patient/ family education.

Our Unit Based Council works closely with both inpatient and outpatient teams to improve patient flow and communication.

    • Outpatient Lactation Clinic
  • Lactation support provides community services to breastfeeding women and their newborns/babies for the establishment and maintenance of successful breastfeeding regardless of delivery hospital.
  • Natividad is proud to be designated as a Baby Friendly USA facility.
  • We are staffed fully by Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) Registered Nurses.
  • Lactation support is available seven days a week for inpatients and to the community for milk transfer issues, to implement appropriate treatment, and observe/assess for other breastfeeding issues/concerns.
    • Outpatient Surgical Services -Short Stay
  • Natividad’s Outpatient Short Stay (OPSS) is a fast pace unit with nursing staff integral to all elements of patient care and flow through the surgical procedures.
  • Our nurses coordinate with pre-op testing for laboratory and diagnostic results, assess and manage patients throughout the procedure and recover patients providing discharge education.
  • Our Unit Based Council has been focusing on:
    • Share Point Communication Tool.
    • Improving communication and family care with updated waiting area, call list and snacks.
    • Introduction of Pain Ease with IV starts.
    • Implementation of Limb Alert armbands.
    • Outpatient Services – Clinics

Natividad is proud to offer multiple specialty clinics.

  • Bariatric Care Clinic.
  • D’Arrigo Family Specialty Services.
  • Los Nino’s Clinic (High Risk Infant follow-up).
  • Natividad Medical Group – Primary Care Clinic.
  • Juvenile Hall Medical Clinic.