Deciphering Roles on the Medical Team
When you look at your child’s medical team, it’s sometimes hard to sort out who does what amid the sea of scrubs and white coats.
Understanding everyone’s role means you won’t waste time asking the wrong person for help, or wait longer as a concern makes its through the chain of command. If you know who to ask for what, you’ll often get your child what they need faster, and it helps you build a constructive working relationship with the team.
Here’s a cheat sheet to help identify who does what:
Attending Physician is the most senior doctor responsible for the case. This doctor supervises the team, analyzes the patient data, designs the treatment plan, and includes other specialties as needed.
Tip: Their time is short, so be ready with organized questions and concerns.
Fellow is a doctor who has completed general residency, and is receiving advanced training in a specialty.
Tip: More accessible than the attending, the fellow is also more knowledgeable than residents and interns.
Resident is a doctor in second or third year of training who provides daily management of the case — conducting physical exams, monitoring test results, answering general questions.
Tip: Residents may be able to authorize small adjustments like medication dosage, but need attending supervision for big changes.
Intern is a doctor in the first year of training after medical school.
Tip: You’ll see interns as part of the team monitoring your child’s status, but they are not decision-makers.
Floor Nurse/ Clinic Nurse takes care of several patients at a time. This nurse conducts regular assessments, dispenses medication, monitors overall patient safety and comfort.
Tip: These nurses are often the first to notice changes since they spend the most time with the patient and family, and they have great ideas to make the patient feel better beyond medication.
Charge Nurse supervises the unit operations and the team of floor nurses.
Tip: Charge nurses do not typically have much involvement in daily patient care, but they are a key ally for handling a complaint or special request.
Nurse Practitioner (sometimes called an NP) has extra training to work with the doctors to provide diagnostic and treatment support for the case.
Tip: NP’s are another good source for questions, and they have authority to write orders for tests or medication.
Nurse Coordinator focuses primarily on the logistics and administration of cases in a unit or clinic.
Tip: This is your go-to resource for scheduling, prescriptions, and paperwork once your child is home from the hospital.
Child Life Specialist is trained to support the patient’s emotional needs by engaging them with games, music, or just a friendly chat.
Tip: Parents may like to take advantage of the visit by a child life specialist to take a break — go for a walk, get coffee, make a phone call. They are also practiced at providing support or distraction during an uncomfortable procedure.
Social Worker focuses on helping the patient and family cope with the hospital stay, and connects families with resources for going home like medical equipment, letters for school, and community services.
Tip: Social workers can be a great support for dealing with the stress of the situation, and to help make sure you’re getting the answers you need.
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It’s important to bear in mind that hospital staff work in shifts, so your child’s team will change from day to night. Each staff member will update the person taking over in the next shift, and you can help highlight any special concerns for the new faces.
And, while there is an effort to keep some consistency in the team from day to day, the longer your child is admitted, the more likely staff will rotate and need some time to get up to speed.
Just remember, questions are always ok, even if you’re not entirely sure who the perfect resource is. Check out my previous post: “7 Tips for Parenting in the Hospital” for more ideas about how you can smooth the road for your child.
