provide care for infants who are feeding and growing stronger or convalescing after intensive care provide mechanical ventilation for a brief duration (<24 h) or continuous positive airway pressure stabilize infants born before 32-week gestation and weighing less than 1500 g until transfer to a neonatal intensive-care facility level ii nurseries are required to be managed and staffed by a pediatrician, however many level ii special care nurseries are staffed by neonatologists and neonatal nurse practitioners. level iii (neonatal intensive-care unit) the 2004 aap guidelines subdivided level iii units into 3 categories (level iiia, iiib & iiic). level iii units are required to have pediatric surgeons in addition to care providers required for level ii (pediatric hospitalists, neonatologists, and neonatal nurse practitioners) and level i (pediatricians, family physicians, nurse practitioners, and other advanced practice registered nurses). also, required provider types that must either be on site or at a closely related institution by prearranged consultative agreement include pediatric medical subspecialists, pediatric anesthesiologists, and pediatric ophthalmologists. in addition to providing the care and having the capabilities of level i and level ii nurseries, level iii neonatal intensive-care units are able to: provide sustained life support provide comprehensive care for infants born <32 wks gestation and weighing <1500 g provide comprehensive care for infants born at all gestational ages and birth weights with critical illness provide prompt and readily available access to a full range of pediatric medical subspecialists, pediatric surgical specialists, pediatric anesthesiologists, and pediatric ophthalmologists provide a full range of respiratory support that may include conventional and/or high-frequency ventilation and inhaled nitric oxide perform advanced imaging, with interpretation on an urgent basis, including computed tomography, mri, and echocardiography level iv (regional nicu) the highest level of neonatal care provided occurs at regional nicus, or level iv neonatal intensive-care units. level iv units are required to have pediatric surgical subspecialists in addition to the care providers required for level iii units. regional nicus have all of the capabilities of level i, ii, and iii units. in addition to providing the highest level of care, level iv nicus: are located within an institution with the capability to provide surgical repair of complex congenital or acquired conditions maintain a full range of pediatric medical subspecialists, pediatric surgical subspecialists, and pediatric anesthesiologists at the site facilitate transport and provide outreach education.