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NICU house staff
Alternative Names:
Newborn intensive care unit - house staff Information:
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The house staff refers to the team of caregivers that are involved in the care of your infant in the NICU. They often include the following: ATTENDING PHYSICIAN The main physician responsible for the care of your baby. The attending physician has completed fellowship training in Neonatology and residency training in Pediatrics. This physician is involved in supervising and teaching the other members of the house staff in the course of caring for your baby. NEONATOLOGIST A neonatologist is a pediatrician with special training in caring for babies that are sick and require intensive care after birth. They coordinate the care for the majority of babies in the NICU. At times, the neonatologist might consult with other specialists to help with your baby's care. Although there are many different people involved in your baby's care while in the NICU, it is the neonatologist who determines and coordinates the daily plan of care. SURGEON A surgeon is a physician with special training in diagnosis and care of conditions that require surgery. They might be asked to see babies in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with birth defects, or a condition that occurs after birth, such as necrotizing enterocolitis. Surgeons might also be asked to insert central catheters in babies that require long-term intravenous fluids. NICU NURSE The NICU nurse has received special training in caring for babies in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Nurses play a very important role in the continuous monitoring of the baby and the support and education of the family. Of all the caregivers in the NICU, nurses usually spend the most time at a baby's bedside caring for the baby, as well as the family. A nurse might also be a member of the NICU Transport Team or become an Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) specialist after special training.
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