Your Child’s Healthcare Team 

Your child’s doctor, who is on the faculty of the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, manages your child’s patient care team. Several doctors may be involved in your child’s care, as well as other staff members: 

• House physicians are fellows, residents and interns, who have finished medical school and are in training. They are directly involved in patient care. 
• Fellows are fully credentialed physicians who have completed their residency and elect to complete further training in a subspecialty. 
• Residents are physicians undergoing three to seven years training to become board certified in a specialty, such as pediatrics or oncology. 
• Attending physicians or hospitalists are responsible for patient care and oversee residents. 
• Interns are new physicians in the first year of residency. 
• Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse midwives, other allied health practitioners and hospital clinical assistants also provide care. 

There may be many nurses and nursing staff members involved in your child’s care. The nursing staff works closely with the medical staff and other members of the healthcare team. The nursing team includes the nurse manager, clinicians, nurse specialists, nurse educators, registered nurses, nursing assistants, technicians and nursing station clerks. 

• Nurse managers are responsible for the supervision of the nursing staff. 
• Nurse specialists have advanced training in a specific nursing specialty and are responsible for assuring that quality care is received by patients. 
• Nurse educators provide education and training to nursing staff. 
• Clinicians are the nurses who are responsible for operational management of a unit during a particular shift. 
• Registered nurses plan and coordinate your child’s overall nursing care each shift and assigns tasks to other members of the nursing team such as clinical assistants, licensed practical nurses and technicians. 
• Licensed practical nurses provide routine care. 

Case managers work with your child’s team to coordinate your child’s care during their hospitalization and assist with discharge planning for children who need care after hospitalization. 

Social workers help you and your family to manage the stress of illness, hospitalization and treatment, and help plan for your child’s care after he or she leaves the hospital. 

Child life specialists are certified healthcare professionals with a strong background in child development and family systems. 

Dedicated to helping children and families feel comfortable with the hospital experience, they use age-appropriate language, play and self-expression activities to help children deal with fear, stress and other challenges.

Volunteers assist with a variety of services throughout the hospital. You will be able to identify volunteers by their identification badges and their royal blue-colored jackets. 

Each staff member, student-in-training and volunteer is required to wear a clearly visible identification badge bearing a photograph, name and job title. The ID badge confirms his or her status at the hospital and specialty area. Do not hesitate to ask staff members to identify themselves. If someone you do not know enters your room, it is your right to ask who he or she is. If you have any doubts about the identity or the intentions of any visitor, call a member of the nursing staff immediately.