Critical Care Medicine/Pediatric Intensive Care (PICU)

PICU Patient The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at St. Louis Children's Hospital is known worldwide for the care we provide to critically ill children. Our newly renovated unit includes 40 beds with private rooms for each patient. The PICU is staffed with a specially trained healthcare team and state-of-art technology to deliver care to children and their families.

St. Louis Children's PICU has earned a national silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. St. Louis Children’s is the only hospital in St. Louis and is just one of two PICUs in Missouri to earn this honor.

Specialized PICU Care

The staff the PICU is made up of a team of caregivers from various specialties whose goal is to provide your child with the best possible care. This specialized team includes:

Physicians

Attending Physicians from the Division of Critical Care Medicine are routinely the physicians in charge of the PICU and have undergone specialized training in the evaluation and care of critically ill children.
Fellows from the Division of Critical Care Medicine are physicians who are in various stages of training to become specialists in the evaluation and care of critically ill children.
Pediatric Nurse Practitioners have received specialized training in the evaluation and care of critically ill children.
Residents are physicians who have completed medical school and are currently training in the field of general pediatrics.
Specialty Physicians are physicians who have specific knowledge relating to a special need of your child.

Nurses

Staff Nurses care for your child on a daily basis. Every effort is made to have the same nurses care for your child throughout the day. Our nurses have received specialty training in the care of critically ill children.
Charge Nurses are senior nurses who are responsible for insuring the smooth running of the PICU. The charge nurse is kept up to date on the status of all patients in the unit and sees to it that all patients' needs are met. You can speak with the charge nurse about any concerns you may have.
The Nurse Manager is a nurse who specializes in caring for children in the PICU and coordinates all operations of an intensive care unit. You are welcome to address any concerns you have with the nurse manager. You should never feel that you need to wait in order to have a concern addressed.
The Clinical Educator is a nurse who specializes in educating and training nurses in the intensive care unit. This nurse provides assistance for families and staff as needed.

Other integral care team members

Pharmacist: monitors the choice and dose of medications your child is receiving.
Patient Care Associate: maintains equipment needs in the PICU and assists the staff nurses.
Unit Secretary: performs secretarial duties and greets visitors.
Respiratory Therapy: maintains equipment and treatments used to assist your child's breathing.
Social Worker: available to assist families with housing needs, food, transportation, insurance, etc.
Chaplains: available to assist families with spiritual and emotional needs during their stay.