Meet the St. Louis Children’s Hospital NICU Team

Although your baby may be small, it takes a big team to care for him or her. During your stay at St. Louis Children’s Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), you’ll meet many different people who provide consistent care for your baby. Here is a list of the most common NICU staff and how they support your baby. Some or all may be part of your baby’s care team:

An Advance Practice Nurse (APN), or Nurse Practitioner (NP), is a nurse licensed to order tests and medicines and help run the care team.

A Chaplain is an interfaith professional available to support your personal belief system. The chaplain is available 24 hours a day.

A Charge Nurse (RN) is the shift leader for nursing staff. These nurses manage admissions, discharges, room assignments and patient flow.

A Consulting Physician (MD) is a specialist who is asked to give an opinion on your child's condition.

A Dietitian is a provider who works with the care team to manage your child's nutritional needs.

A Case Manager helps your family with planning for discharge and coordinates with your insurance company.

A Family Partner is a member of a team of former NICU parents at St. Louis Children's Hospital who supports families across the hospital. They can help develop partnerships with you and your child's care team, connect you to resources and advocate for you.

A Fellow (MD) is a doctor who has completed medical school and is training to practice in a specific area of medicine.

A Lactation Specialist will help you with your lactation needs. You will receive a lactation handbook with additional information.

A Nurse (RN) cares for your child at the bedside.

The Nursing Leadership (RN) consists of the director, nurse managers, assistant nurse mangers and charge nurses.

A Patient Care Technician (PCT) performs patient care tasks at the direction of a registered nurse.

A Perinatal Behavioral Health Specialist is a therapist who provides emotional and mental health support to families. They specialize in the care of parents and families with medically ill babies.

A Pharmacist (PharmD) works with the care team to make sure your child receives safe and effective medicine.

A Phlebotomist collects and processes blood and blood products.

A Physician (MD), often called an Attending (MD), is the main doctor on your child's care team. They oversee all patient care. Attendings may focus on a specific condition (for example, cardiology or neurology) or may be focused on general medicine (a hospitalist).

A Resident (MD) is a doctor who has completed medical school and is completing three years of pediatric training.

A Respiratory Therapist (RRT) manages and treats patients with breathing conditions.

A Social Worker (LCSW) can help you with the stress, emotional and practical problems associated with illness and hospitalization. They can also connect you with helpful community resources.

Therapy Services consist of speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists and physical therapists. They work with patients to develop, maintain or restore abilities.

A Cuddler is a volunteer with specialized training to support infants in the NICU when parents cannot be at the bedside. Studies have shown that this extra interaction helps decrease lengths of hospital stays and improves social interaction as babies grow. They can be identified by a blue volunteer shirt and a badge that reads "NICU Cuddler."

Meet our Washington University neonatologists

Our NICU is led by Washington University neonatologists who not only provide state-of-the art medical care for infants, but also conduct nationally and internationally recognized research to improve medical treatment and outcomes for premature and critically ill infants. Meet our team below.