Norton Children’s Heart Parent’s Survival Guide

It is completely normal to feel overwhelmed by the number of people caring for your child. Because we are a teaching hospital, your child's care is supported by a full team of specialists, residents, and nurses. Here is a quick guide to who’s who on your medical team.

• Attending Physician: This is the senior doctor who is ultimately in charge of your child’s care. They have completed all of their medical training and supervise the rest of the medical team.

• Fellow: A fully licensed doctor who has already finished their general pediatric residency and is now completing advanced training to become an expert in a specific sub-specialty (like pediatric cardiology or oncology).

• Resident: A doctor who has graduated from medical school and is training in general pediatrics. They provide direct, day-to-day care under the supervision of the attending physician.

• Intern: A doctor in their very first year of residency training after graduating from medical school.

• Medical Student: A student currently in medical school studying to become a doctor. They are an important part of the learning environment but do not make final medical decisions.

• Nurse Practitioners & Physician Assistants: Highly trained and licensed professionals who work closely with the attending physician to examine patients, diagnose conditions, and prescribe medications.

• Nurses (who wear royal blue scrubs) are the primary point of contact between you and your healthcare team both at the bedside and in outpatient settings. They perform frequent patient evaluations, including monitoring and tracking vital signs and performing procedures such as IV placement, drawing blood and administering medications.

• Certified nursing care technicians (who wear grey scrubs), sometimes called nursing assistants, provide assistance with your activities of daily living under the direction of the registered nurse.