Babies in the NICU need constant monitoring and 24-hour care from a variety of health care professionals. Some staff are available to support families. Here are some of the staff members (in alphabetical order) that a parent or baby will likely encounter:

Hospital chaplain: A priest, minister, rabbi, imam or other religious advisor, who can provide spiritual support and counseling to help families cope with the stressors of the NICU experience.

Neonatologist: A pediatrician (children’s doctor) with advanced training in the care of premature and sick newborns. The neonatologist often is called the “attending” doctor. There may be several neonatologists in the NICU.

Neonatology fellow: A fully-trained pediatrician who is receiving advanced training in the care of premature and sick newborns, and is often the most senior physician in the NICU late at night.

Neonatal clinical nurse specialist: A neonatal nurse with advanced education (a master’s degree) in the care of sick and premature babies.

Neonatal nurse practitioner: A registered nurse who has advanced and specialized training in working with premature and sick newborns. He or she can perform many procedures and helps direct your baby’s care.

Occupational therapist: A health professional who looks at how a baby’s muscles are working, and how muscle problems affect behaviors, such as eating. The occupational therapist tries to improve these functions in the newborn with various interventions.

Pediatric resident: A doctor who is receiving training in a medical specialty; in this case, pediatrics.

Registered nurse: A health professional who has passed a written examination after graduating from a college or hospital nursing program. Registered nurses in NICUs have experience in caring for premature and sick newborns.

Respiratory therapist: A health professional trained to care for babies with breathing problems and to use the medical equipment needed to care for these babies.

Social worker: A professional who is specially trained to help families cope with the emotional aspects of their baby’s NICU stay. The social worker can help parents obtain the information they need from their baby’s doctors, provide sources of information on specific medical problems, help parents deal with financial difficulties and stress, and make any special arrangements for the baby’s discharge and follow-up care.

Speech and language pathologist: A person who is trained in speech and language problems, but often works with newborns in NICUs to help assist them with feeding problems.

Technicians: Staff members who perform specific procedures such as drawing blood or taking x-rays.