Registered Nurse (RN) - Critical Care (PICU), San Diego, CA

San Diego, CA

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Overview

Rady Children’s nurses serve as local and global leaders in shaping how care is delivered to patients and families throughout our organization and in the communities we serve. Behind each nurse and their leader is the commitment to learn more, improve outcomes and empower individuals to seek innovative solutions. We are transforming the role of the caregiver, and in that transformation, we are partners in advancing the quality of care. Every day, we look for new pathways. It is a journey of excellence.

It’s not just caring about children that makes our nursing staff so special. It’s the magic! Our dedication to specialized training and sensitivity is perfected by caring for children 100% of the time. Rady Children’s is designed, equipped and staffed just for kids. As the region’s only pediatric trauma center, we care for children with the most severe medical emergencies to those with mild illnesses.

Rady Children's offers competitive salaries, robust benefits, generous paid time off, retirement savings with contribution match, employee recognition, Team Rady events and celebrations, along with other great perks. Join us in sunny San Diego!

Job Type: Full-time, Part-time & Per diem
Level: Entry-level & Mid-level

Success Profile

What makes a successful Triage Nurse at Rady Children’s Hospital? Check out the traits we’re looking for and see if you have the right mix.

Adaptable
Collaborative
Compassionate
Courageous
Positive
Quick-thinking

Culture

Consistently excellent in providing the highest level of care for our patients.
Ensuring that our nursing team receives support, rewards and career advancement opportunities.
Committed to improving outcomes and empowering individuals to seek innovative solutions.
Collaborative, respectful and dedicated to care, research and teaching.

Career Path

Rady Children’s Hospital offers many career paths to support your immediate and future success.

CN I
CN II
CN III

Supervisor
Manager
Case Manager

Nurse Educator
Case Manager
Care Coordinator

It’s amazing to see these children go from weak to vibrant… The nurses who chose to come here are unique because they’re comfortable with these patients and are eager to give it their all… I’ve never worked with a more passionate group of nurses. Each and every one of them truly loves this patient population. They’re so dedicated and do such a great job.
Cheryle Pillow, Clinical Nurse III, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Rewards

We offer a robust Total Rewards Package in order to help our employees achieve and maintain overall physical, emotional and financial well-being for themselves and their families

Health Plan

Medical, Dental, Vision
403(b) Retirement Plan

Match that increases with years of service
Tuition Reimbursement

Up to $10,000 per year, paid time off for seminars
Life and Disability Insurance
Competitive Salaries

Annual merit increases, longevity increases, success sharing, paid leave cash-out program
Awards & Recognition

Milestone awards, CARES recognition

Responsibilities

Job ID: 19407
Date posted: 09/09/2026
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Night
Department: Critical Care Unit

Who we are:

• Our 24 bed PICU receives the highest acuity patients from San Diego, Southern Riverside and Imperial counties.

• Our nurses collaborate with a team of physicians, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, social work, child life, and pharmacists to provide excellent care to our patients.

• Diagnoses we care for include, but are not limited to: complex medical conditions (respiratory failure, sepsis, and multisystem organ dysfunction), pre and post-operative conditions, multiple trauma, and children needing acute management of chronic illnesses.

• Our PICU has received the Gold level Beacon Award of Excellence in 2019. Only three PICUs in California and 12 across the United States earned gold-level accolades. The three-year award acknowledges “caregivers in stellar units whose consistent and systematic approach to evidence-based care optimizes patient outcomes.”

• Rady Children’s Hospital is ranked in all 10 specialties surveyed by the U.S. News & World Report in its Best Children’s Hospitals ranking for 2020-20121.

• Rady Children’s Hospital is a Magnet designated teaching facility.

• The region’s only designated Level 1 pediatric trauma center.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) seeks motivated individuals with a passion for caring for critically ill children and their families. As a PICU nurse you will experience a compassionate, fast-paced environment, where you can grow your career and learn something new every day. The PICU nurse is responsible for independently applying the nursing process through assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, and documentation of care based on patient specific age and/or developmental needs. The ideal candidates demonstrate critical thinking, ability to adapt in a rapidly changing patient population, and exceptional communication with patients, families, and colleagues from all disciplines.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Associate's Degree in Nursing

1 year of experience

Current California RN License

BLS for Healthcare Providers, issued by AHA

Active American Heart Association PALS certification - within 3 months of hire

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor's Degree in Nursing

3 years of experience

2 years of recent nursing experience in a PICU

Critical Care Registered Nurse Certification (CCRN)

Bilingual

The current salary range for this position is $64.39 to $92.09

A candidate’s placement in the range will be determined based on the terms and conditions of the applicable collective bargaining agreement. Rady Children’s Hospital is committed to being externally competitive and internally equitable. We demonstrate this commitment by reviewing market data to remain competitive within the nonprofit, healthcare sector. This posting will remain open from the “date posted” until the hiring manager has determined there is a sufficient applicant pool or until the position is filled.

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