New Graduate Nursing Residency Program- PICU
Top Benefits
About the role
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 the World's Best paediatric healthcare center, 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 January 12th, 2026!
Here's what you'll get to do:
- Develop and implement a nursing plan of care
- 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
Here's what you'll need
Essential Requirements
- Graduate of an approved Baccalaureate Nursing Program - recent graduates working towards CNO registration are encouraged to apply
- 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 90 days of your start date
- Possess less than 1 year of clinical nursing experience in an RN capacity
- 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
Preferred Qualifications
- 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 strongly preferred
Here's what you'll love
- Enhancing children's health and changing the lives of children and their families every day
- Academic and learning environment with robust 3-month orientation, mentoring programs, and focus on continuous improvement
- 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 and HOOPP defined-benefit pension plan
- A hospital that welcomes and focuses on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- A work environment where you have flexible scheduling, low staff to patient ratios, awards and bursaries
- Being a part of the expert interprofessional care team driving hospital wide changes and beyond
- The opportunity to be recognized for nursing excellence awards and recognition programs
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
- Including 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 questionnaire. 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 between October 1****st - October 31st. 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 the Application Process?
Charting Your Path to Nursing at SickKids: Resume & Interview Essentials
During this session, candidates will learn SickKids core values and approach to care, as well as resume and interviewing best practices to engage in before, during, and after the interview. The session will conclude with a dedicated panel discussion and Q&A period, where clinical and HR representatives will share their insights and advice.
Register in advance for this virtual sessionand join us on Wednesday, Sept 17****th at 13:00!
Employment Type:
- Permanent full-time, including access to benefits, pension plan & personal days
- Shift: days/nights/weekends/holiday
Our Commitment to Diversity
SickKids is committed to championing equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do, fostering an intentionally inclusive and culturally safe environment that reflects the diversity of the patients, families and communities we serve. Learn more about workplace inclusion.
Accessibility & Accommodation
If you require accommodation during the application process, please reach out to our aSKHR team. SickKids can provide access and inclusion supports to eligible candidates to support their full engagement during the interview and selection process as well as to ensure candidates are able to perform their duties once successfully hired. If you are invited for an interview and require accommodation, please let us know at the time of your invitation to interview. Information received related to access, inclusion or accommodation will be addressed confidentially.
How To Apply
Technical difficulties? Email ask.hr@sickkids.ca with a short description of the issues you are experiencing. We will not accept resumes sent to this inbox but we are happy to respond to requests for technical assistance.
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.
About The Hospital for Sick Children
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is recognized as one of the world’s foremost paediatric health-care institutions and is Canada’s leading centre dedicated to advancing children’s health through the integration of patient care, research and education. Founded in 1875 and affiliated with the University of Toronto, SickKids is one of Canada’s most research-intensive hospitals and has generated discoveries that have helped children globally.
Its mission is to provide the best in complex and specialized family-centred care; pioneer scientific and clinical advancements; share expertise; foster an academic environment that nurtures health-care professionals; and champion an accessible, comprehensive and sustainable child health system.
SickKids is a founding member of Kids Health Alliance, a network of partners working to create a high quality, consistent and coordinated approach to paediatric health care that is centred around children, youth and their families.
SickKids is proud of its vision of Healthier Children. A Better World.™
New Graduate Nursing Residency Program- PICU
Top Benefits
About the role
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 the World's Best paediatric healthcare center, 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 January 12th, 2026!
Here's what you'll get to do:
- Develop and implement a nursing plan of care
- 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
Here's what you'll need
Essential Requirements
- Graduate of an approved Baccalaureate Nursing Program - recent graduates working towards CNO registration are encouraged to apply
- 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 90 days of your start date
- Possess less than 1 year of clinical nursing experience in an RN capacity
- 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
Preferred Qualifications
- 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 strongly preferred
Here's what you'll love
- Enhancing children's health and changing the lives of children and their families every day
- Academic and learning environment with robust 3-month orientation, mentoring programs, and focus on continuous improvement
- 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 and HOOPP defined-benefit pension plan
- A hospital that welcomes and focuses on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- A work environment where you have flexible scheduling, low staff to patient ratios, awards and bursaries
- Being a part of the expert interprofessional care team driving hospital wide changes and beyond
- The opportunity to be recognized for nursing excellence awards and recognition programs
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
- Including 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 questionnaire. 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 between October 1****st - October 31st. 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 the Application Process?
Charting Your Path to Nursing at SickKids: Resume & Interview Essentials
During this session, candidates will learn SickKids core values and approach to care, as well as resume and interviewing best practices to engage in before, during, and after the interview. The session will conclude with a dedicated panel discussion and Q&A period, where clinical and HR representatives will share their insights and advice.
Register in advance for this virtual sessionand join us on Wednesday, Sept 17****th at 13:00!
Employment Type:
- Permanent full-time, including access to benefits, pension plan & personal days
- Shift: days/nights/weekends/holiday
Our Commitment to Diversity
SickKids is committed to championing equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do, fostering an intentionally inclusive and culturally safe environment that reflects the diversity of the patients, families and communities we serve. Learn more about workplace inclusion.
Accessibility & Accommodation
If you require accommodation during the application process, please reach out to our aSKHR team. SickKids can provide access and inclusion supports to eligible candidates to support their full engagement during the interview and selection process as well as to ensure candidates are able to perform their duties once successfully hired. If you are invited for an interview and require accommodation, please let us know at the time of your invitation to interview. Information received related to access, inclusion or accommodation will be addressed confidentially.
How To Apply
Technical difficulties? Email ask.hr@sickkids.ca with a short description of the issues you are experiencing. We will not accept resumes sent to this inbox but we are happy to respond to requests for technical assistance.
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.
About The Hospital for Sick Children
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is recognized as one of the world’s foremost paediatric health-care institutions and is Canada’s leading centre dedicated to advancing children’s health through the integration of patient care, research and education. Founded in 1875 and affiliated with the University of Toronto, SickKids is one of Canada’s most research-intensive hospitals and has generated discoveries that have helped children globally.
Its mission is to provide the best in complex and specialized family-centred care; pioneer scientific and clinical advancements; share expertise; foster an academic environment that nurtures health-care professionals; and champion an accessible, comprehensive and sustainable child health system.
SickKids is a founding member of Kids Health Alliance, a network of partners working to create a high quality, consistent and coordinated approach to paediatric health care that is centred around children, youth and their families.
SickKids is proud of its vision of Healthier Children. A Better World.™