Registered Nurse (RN) II - Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

111 Michigan Avenue Northwest Washington, DC 20010

Kids Are Our Everything.

Department

10307 Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Pay Range

$39.20 - $60.18

Up to $20,000 Bonus

Day Shift / Night Shift Rotation

Weekend and Holiday Rotation

Who We Are

The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is a 46-bed unit. We will be expanding to 60 beds in 2027! This unit serves as a regional referral center and is a designated Level I Trauma Center for comprehensive care to pediatric patients and their families. The PICU Patient Care Management Team coordinates interdisciplinary patient assessment and patient care and provided by pediatric intensivists and specialty nurses in conjunction with multiple specialty services within the Medical Center. Patients are admitted to the PICU from the ED, Trauma Services, the Operating Room, and transfers from in-house units as well as transports from other institutions via the Pediatric Transport team.

Trauma patients comprise about 10%-15% of patients in the PICU. These patients often have multiple injuries or severe head trauma. The PICU is also a Pediatric Burn Center and receives referrals from the region. Other complex patients requiring general surgery, ENT, craniofacial, neurosurgical and other surgical subspecialties are also cared for in the PICU. Medical patients comprise 50%-60% of patients and include children with respiratory failure, meningitis or seizures, sepsis, multi-system organ failure and chronically ill children. Children with cancer also require PICU care for complications that develop as part of the underlying disease, chemotherapy or following bone marrow transplantation. Services are provided daily, 24 hours per day.

The Division of Critical Care Medicine (CCM) provides services and care to all patients admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Specifically, care is provided for all patients in the PICU, patients within the hospital by request, patients within the hospital as part of all emergencies and resuscitations, and patients in the ED for “medical alerts” and “trauma stats”. The scope of services includes resuscitation, life support, monitoring and treatment for life threatening events and diagnostic issues related to these items. Patients may be admitted to and discharged from the PICU based on pre-established guidelines. See section on critical care units.

The department utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach to care, utilizing the services of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, respiratory therapists, social services and other support services necessary to provide quality care. Attending physicians providing care are board eligible or certified in Pediatric Critical Care. The PICU provides CAT (Rapid Response Services) and Code Blue team leadership to support in house clinical emergencies. An attending or fellow along with an ICU nurse and Respiratory Therapist respond to assist in clinical rescues of in-house patients. This service can also be activated by a concerned parent.

About The Role

A Registered Nurse (RN) in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) provides specialized, high-acuity care to critically ill and injured infants, children, and adolescents requiring continuous monitoring and advanced life support. Working within a 46-bed regional referral and Level I Trauma Center, the PICU RN collaborates closely with pediatric intensivists, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, and multidisciplinary specialty teams to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate patient care. The RN manages complex medical and surgical patients, including those with respiratory failure, sepsis, multi-system organ failure, seizures, meningitis, severe trauma, burn injuries, cancer-related complications, and post-operative needs following neurosurgical, craniofacial, ENT, and other specialty procedures. Responsibilities include performing comprehensive patient assessments, monitoring hemodynamic status, administering medications and blood products, managing ventilators and invasive lines, responding to emergencies and resuscitations, and providing family-centered education and support. The PICU RN also participates in rapid response and Code Blue events throughout the hospital, helping stabilize critically ill patients while ensuring the highest standards of safety, quality, and compassionate care 24 hours a day.

All nursing practice is based on the legal scope of practice, national and specialty nursing standards, Children's National Policies and Procedures, and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. The Professional Model of Care requires registered professional nurses to be responsible and accountable for their own practice. Children's National supports the development of RN relationships within the community; specifically those relationships associated with the health and well being of the community at large.

What You’ll Bring

Minimum Education

Minimum Work Experience

BSN Graduated from an approved school of nursing. (Preferred)

Required Skills/Knowledge

1 year RN experience (Required)

The licensed Registered Nurse will successfully complete the hospital and nursing orientation at Children’s National. Keep knowledge base current with new information or changes in specialty area.

Required Licenses And Certifications

Registered Nurse in District of Columbia Registered Nurse licensed in the District of Columbia, Maryland or Virginia dependent upon location of practice. (Required)

Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Required

Functional Accountabilities

Transformational Leadership

• Contribute to Magnet re-designation as evidenced by independent updating of professional profile and initiation of council involvement, committees, task forces and /or community outreach.
• Demonstrate critical thinking skills by problem solving appropriately during patient care.
• Communicate to reflect development of plan of care and ability to advocate to meet patients’ needs.
• Independently initiate escalation of issues utilizing chain of command.
• Demonstrate proper use of the currently identified hand off processes.
• Demonstrate a collegial and respectful relationship with ancillary staff.
• Participate in implementing change and support management decisions.
• Role model behavior that reflects empathy, concern and a desire to help others.
  
  

Structural Empowerment

• Independently maintain regulatory requirements e.g. license, BLS.
• Plan for attendance at mandatory education and professional activities to enhance nursing practice.
• Demonstrate professional review of peers through timely participation in evaluations.
• Seek out opportunities to participate in enhancing departmental goals by ensuring adherence to national safety standards and service excellence standards; support advancement of education and certification as well.
• Collaborate with members of the healthcare team and role model professional behavior and teamwork with coworkers.
• Utilize resources as needed and know when to escalate to next level.
  
  

Exemplary Professional Practice

• Utilize assessment data gathered from patient and family to ensure completion of data base and plan of care within identified timeframes.
• Demonstrate clinical skills with complex patients that reflect analysis of patient status and appropriate interventions.
• Role model skill in prioritization and organization for complex patient with rapidly changing needs.
• Documentation exemplifies adherence to the highest standards of practice.
• Anticipate and proactively plan for educational needs verified with patient and family throughout the hospital/outpatient stay and prior to discharge.
• Role model organizational skills, adjust for changes and is able to complete assignment on time.
• Demonstrate caring in all encounters with patient and family as evidenced by feedback from parents and an increase in patient satisfaction scores.
  
  

Safety

• Speak up when team members appear to exhibit unsafe behavior or performance
• Continuously validate and verify information needed for decision making or documentation
• Stop in the face of uncertainty and takes time to resolve the situation
• Demonstrate accurate, clear and timely verbal and written communication
• Actively promote safety for patients, families, visitors and co-workers
• Attend carefully to important details - practicing Stop, Think, Act and Review in order to self-check behavior and performance
  
  

Organizational Accountabilities

New Knowledge, Innovations, and Improvements

• Identify ways to improve operations through quality improvement and assist in implementation of solutions.
• Identify self learning needs and take initiative to meet those needs.
• Ensure care is based on evidence with the literature and benchmarking
  
  

Organizational Commitment/Identification

• Partner in the mission and upholds the core principles of the organization
• Committed to diversity and recognizes value of cultural ethnic differences
• Demonstrate personal and professional integrity
• Maintain confidentiality at all times
  
  

Customer Service

• Anticipate and responds to customer needs; follows up until needs are met
  
  

Teamwork/Communication

• Demonstrate collaborative and respectful behavior
• Partner with all team members to achieve goals
• Receptive to others’ ideas and opinions
  
  

Performance Improvement/Problem-solving

• Contribute to a positive work environment
• Demonstrate flexibility and willingness to change
• Identify opportunities to improve clinical and administrative processes
• Make appropriate decisions, using sound judgment
  
  

Cost Management/Financial Responsibility

• Use resources efficiently
• Search for less costly ways of doing things
  
  

Benefits That Support You

• Comprehensive health coverage, including medical, prescription, infertility, and transgender health services.
• Generous paid time off, including vacation accrual from day one, sick leave, holidays, and a personal day.
• Financial wellness support, including a 401(k) plan and healthcare and dependent care spending accounts.
• Employer-paid life, AD&D, and long-term disability coverage, with optional supplemental plans.
• Additional perks, including tuition assistance, fitness resources, employee assistance, commuter benefits, and more.
  
  

Why Join Us

• Nationally Recognized Excellence – Consistently ranked among the Top 10 Children’s Hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
• Leading Pediatric Care – One of the largest and most comprehensive children’s hospitals in the country, offering nationally ranked specialties and cutting-edge treatments.
• Innovation & Research – A premier academic medical center with a strong commitment to pediatric research, education, and advancing the future of child health.
• Mission-Driven Culture – Dedicated to providing family-centered care while fostering a collaborative, supportive environment for clinical teams.
  
  

The disclosed salary range includes the minimum and maximum rates within which Children’s National believes an individual’s base pay rate will fall for this position. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the maximum of the pay range. The exact pay rate for this position will be based on a variety of factors in alignment with the Children’s National compensation philosophy. These factors are legitimate and non-discriminatory including, but not limited to, the current market conditions; organizational needs; the individual’s combination of prior work experience, level of education, knowledge, skills, and other qualifications. Children’s National is committed to providing a fair and competitive total rewards package to each of our employees. This base salary range does not include our comprehensive benefits package or any additional compensation for which this position may be eligible.

Childrens National Hospital is an equal opportunity employer that evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, identity, or other characteristics protected by law. The “Know Your Rights” poster is available here: and the pay transparency policy is available here: Know Your RightsPay Transparency Nondiscrimination Poster.

Please note that it is the policy of Children's National Hospital to ensure a “drug-free” work environment: a workplace free from the illegal use, possession or distribution of controlled substances (as defined in the Controlled Substances Act), or the misuse of legal substances, by all staff (management, employees and contractors). Though recreational and medical marijuana are now legal in the District of Columbia, Children's National and its affiliates maintain the right, in accordance with our policy, to enforce a drug-free workplace, including prohibiting recreational or prescribed marijuana.