Your Care Team

Patients at UC San Diego Health benefit from a variety of licensed health care professionals who make up their care team. This team may include physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, case managers, social workers and others.

Physicians

UC San Diego Health is an academic medical center and teaching hospital. During a hospital stay, you may be treated by a team of doctors that includes attending physicians, residents, fellows and interns. Medical students may also be part of the team.

Attending Physician An attending physicians is a board-certified physician who is responsible for your plan of care and leads your hospital care team by overseeing the residents and medical students who may be involved in your care.
Hospitalist A hospitalist is a type of attending physician who works only in the hospital setting, taking care of hospital inpatients. Hospitalists at UC San Diego Health are board-certified internal medicine physicians.
Resident or Fellow Residents and fellows are physicians in training who have received their medical degrees and have selected a medical specialty to pursue.
Intern Interns are first-year resident physicians.
Medical Student Medical students have a college degree and are enrolled in medical school. They work only under the direct supervision of an attending physician.

Advanced Practice Providers (APPs)

During a clinic visit or hospital stay, your care team may also include advanced practice providers (APPs). These providers are licensed health care professionals who have received advanced education and training in a specialized area. They collaborate with other providers, including physicians, to ensure patients receive comprehensive care.

Nurse Practitioner (NP) A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse (RN) who has completed advanced education and training in a specialized area of nursing. They work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics and private practices. NPs can provide a range of health care services, including performing physical exams, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, prescribing medications, and developing treatment plans for acute and chronic medical conditions.
Physician Assistant (PA) A physician assistant works under the supervision of a physician or surgeon. PA’s are trained in a medical model and are certified to practice medicine under supervision of a physician. Physician assistants are authorized to perform a range of health care services, including physical exams, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, prescribing medications, and developing treatment plans for acute and chronic medical conditions.
Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) A certified nurse midwife an advanced practice registered nurse who is trained and certified in midwifery. CNM's are authorized to provide care for women throughout their lifespan, from adolescence to menopause. They provide a wide range of services including prenatal care, childbirth support, gynecological care, family planning and menopausal care. CNM's may work in collaboration with obstetricians and can assist in performing cesarean deliveries or complicated births. CNM's emphasize patient education in a collaborative approach to care.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) A CRNA is a certified registered nurse anesthetist, which is a highly trained and specialized advanced practice registered nurse who provides anesthesia services to patients in a variety of health care settings. CRNA's work in collaboration with physicians to provide anesthesia care for surgical and diagnostic procedures. They are responsible for administering and managing anesthesia, monitoring patients' vital signs and consciousness level, and managing complications that from anesthesia.

Other Professionals

Clinical Pharmacist Clinical pharmacists contribute to your care by helping your physicians and nurses use medicines safely and effectively. They provide your care team with therapeutic drug monitoring (measuring amounts of certain medications in your body), intravenous nutrition support and participation in patient care rounds.
Care Manager Care managers are often registered nurses who work in collaboration with your physician to determine when you are medically ready for discharge and make sure you have a safe discharge plan in place.
Social Worker Our social workers have specialized master's degrees who can address the emotional and practical concerns of patients and help them connect to community resources.
Chaplain or Spiritual Care Leader Our staff includes chaplains and a group of volunteer spiritual care leaders from many different faiths. Together, they provide compassionate and caring spiritual support to patients and their families.
Nurse Registered nurses (RN) form the backbone of health care by providing direct patient care and education, and by advocating for your needs during your hospital stay. Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), also known as Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs), support the core health care team and work under the supervision of an RN, APP or MD.
Nurse Manager or Charge Nurse The nurse manager, or charge nurse, oversees hospital nursing care and unit operations. They are available if you have any questions or concerns.
Clinical Care Partner (CCP) or Rehabilitation Care Partner (RCP) These care team members assist you with daily activities, hygiene and movement — supporting the hospital nursing team to help keep you safe and comfortable.
Physical Therapist (PT) Your PT evaluates and helps you restore strength, balance and movement for a safe return to daily activities.
Occupational Therapist (OT) Your OT evaluates and helps you to regain independence with daily tasks such as dressing, bathing and home safety activities.

During Your Hospital Stay

It's normal for your hospital care team to change and to have many doctors treating you. Even the attending physician may change during your stay.

As new doctors join the team, they will introduce themselves. Although your doctors may change, the high quality of your care will remain the same.

Our nurses go above and beyond what is expected to take care of their patients. They willingly advocate for your needs. The skill, care and compassion of our nurses can be seen the minute you enter the hospital until the moment you leave.

Nurse Shift Changes

To provide care 24 hours a day, nurses work in scheduled shifts. When the outgoing nurse's shift ends, they share important information about your care with the incoming nurse to help ensure a safe and smooth transition of care.

Nurse shift changes typically occur around 6:30–7:30 a.m. and 6:30–7:30 p.m. During this time, we ask patients and families to limit phone calls and non-urgent requests when possible, so nurses can focus on safely sharing information.

Urgent needs are always addressed, and a nurse is available at all times.

During the shift change, it is a good time to ask your incoming nurse questions as they:

  • Introduce themselves
  • Review your care plan, medications, or upcoming tests
  • Check your identification band, equipment, or comfort and safety needs

It is also a good time to share concerns, or speak up if something doesn't seem right. Your involvement helps your care team provide safe, high‑quality care.