New Grad Nursing Residency Program - PICU

About SickKids

Dedicated exclusively to children and their families, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is one of the largest and most respected paediatric healthcare centres in the world. As innovators in child health, we lead and partner to improve the health of children through the integration of healthcare, leading-edge research and education. Our reputation would not have been built – nor could it be maintained – without the skills, knowledge and experience of the extraordinary people who come to work here every day. SickKids is committed to ongoing learning and development, and features a caring and supportive work environment that combines exceptionally high standards of practice.

When you join SickKids, you become part of our community. We share a commitment and determination to fulfill our vision of Healthier Children. A Better World.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to work alongside the world’s best in paediatric healthcare.


Position Description

SickKids nurses are leaders who influence and deliver the best in specialized child and family-centred care. We focus on the whole person, to support children and families to cope, develop, grow, thrive and transform, leveraging strengths of the family.

When you join SickKids, you are joining a renowned interprofessional care team. We've been recognized as one of the World's Best paediatric healthcare centers, as well as a top 100 Employer in Canada.
We are proud of where we work, and we think you will be too!

Are you a new graduate planning to pursue a career in Paediatric Critical Care Nursing? Are you interested in an accelerated, intensive, training program? If so, the SickKids PICU wants to talk to you about our New Graduate Nursing Residency Program!

How does the program work?

You will begin your nursing career at SickKids by working on an inpatient medical-surgical unit with a direct career pathway to the PICU. During your 12-month residency program you will be provided with mentorship, feedback, and support in developing the required clinical competencies to care for our critically ill patients. Click here to learn more!

Why Participate in the Residency?

Providing nursing care to critically ill children, and their families, demands highly specialized technical and interprofessional skills and sound clinical judgment. This high intensity residency program will help you develop the competencies that are necessary for an accelerated transition to the PICU.

How will I be supported?

As a New Graduate Nurse at SickKids, you will work with an amazing and diverse interprofessional care team. Starting on Day 1 this team is ready to support your learning career development by sharing their extensive knowledge and experience. You will participate in a comprehensive paediatric nursing orientation that includes subspecialty training and preceptored clinical practice experience. We want you to have the tools you need to be successful in our unique, fast-paced environment.

Ready to start your journey? Apply now for an opportunity to join our team on June 23rd, 2025!

Here's What You'll Love:

Academic and learning environment with robust orientation, mentorships, and focus on continuous improvement
Professional development opportunities funding to support learning
A culture of safety for both the patient and staff
A focus on employee wellness. Self-care helps us care for others
Comprehensive health dental benefits; defined benefit pension plan
A hospital that welcomes and focuses on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
A work environment where you have flexible scheduling, safe staff to patient ratios, awards and bursaries
The opportunity to enhance children's health and change the lives of children and their families every day
Here's What You'll Do:

Develop and implement a nursing plan of care for critically ill patients and their families
Work in collaboration with the child/family and the interdisciplinary health care team
Maintain clinical competence and knowledge base through continued education and life-long learning
Utilize evidence-based practice as a base in the promotion of professional accountability
Provide safe, competent and ethical nursing care
Who You Are:

Graduate of an approved Baccalaureate Nursing Program
Temporary Class License through the College of Nurses of Ontario, and registration to write the NCLEX-RN within 30 days of your start date
If second attempt, registration to write the NCLEX-RN within +0 days of your start date
Recent graduates working towards CNO registration are encouraged to apply
Possess less than 1 year of clinical nursing experience in an RN capacity
Previous student nursing experience in placement and as a Clinical Extern in an acute care unit or Critical Care environment (strongly preferred)
Previous clinical placement experience in paediatrics or experience working with children is a strong asset but not mandatory
Demonstrated ability to use your critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork abilities
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the principles of equity, diversity and inclusivity
Our Hiring Process

Please follow the steps outlined below when submitting your application:

Visit the SickKids Careers site and apply to our New Graduate Nursing Residency Posting
Include a cover letter as part of your application is not mandatory but highly recommended.
Make sure to indicate your top 3 units of interest in your cover letter and/or in your answers to the application questions. If you are open to any unit, please let us know. If you are open to any unit, your application could be forwarded to any unit actively hiring.
If you are selected, you will be contacted for a virtual interview my the PICU manager between April 17th - May 16th. If you are not selected for this round of interviews, we encourage you to reapply in the future.
Upon receiving a verbal offer, all successful new graduate candidates will need to provide 1 supervisory reference who can speak to clinical experience.

Nervous About Interviewing?

Preparing Yourself: Resume Writing and Interview Skills Workshop

SickKids is offering a workshop on resume writing interview skills for any nurse applying to our current job postings!

In this workshop, candidates will learn about SickKids core values, approach to care, and best practices for interviews. Additionally, SickKids nurses will share their insights and advice during a dedicated QA session at the end.

Register in advance for this virtual workshop and join us on Tuesday, April 15th at 1 PM!

Interested in Connecting with Us?

The Talent Acquisition team is hosting an Information Session for nurses interested in working at SickKids. You are welcome to join us on Friday, April 11th from 12 to 1 PM. We will be covering a variety of topics such as the recruitment process, career development, unit overviews, nursing orientation, and more! If you are interested, please register for the SickKids Nursing Intake Information Session.

Employment Type: Permanent full-time

Our Commitment to Diversity

The children and families we care for are from a variety of communities, and so are our employees. We welcome and encourage everyone to join our organization and be part of our team.

When requested, SickKids will provide access and inclusion supports to eligible candidates to support their full engagement during the interview and assessment process. Information received related to access or inclusion will be addressed confidentially.

Thank you for your interest in joining SickKids. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. In accordance with our Hospital policy, employment at SickKids is conditional upon the Hospital¿s receipt of all necessary documentation.

How to Apply

Tip: Combine your cover letter and resume into ONE document of 20 pages or less as you cannot upload multiple documents as part of your application.

If you are still experiencing technical difficulties please email ask.hr@sickkids.ca to send us a short description of the issues you are experiencing. Please note that we will not accept resumes sent to this inbox but we are happy to respond to requests for technical assistance. Read more