Frequently Asked Questions About Nursing at Seattle Children's

We welcome new nursing graduates – and we'll support you as you transition from student to nurse. Seattle Children's hires new graduate RNs throughout the year, in a variety of clinical areas.

We prefer to hire new graduate RNs with:

• A BSN from a school with a pediatric inpatient acute care and hospital-based clinical rotation where you planned and provided direct patient care
• Work experience in a pediatric acute care setting or a senior student experience in a pediatric acute care setting
• Diverse candidates who reflect the population of patients and families we serve.

Applicants need to have their Washington state RN license and be available to start work within four to eight weeks after applying for a new graduate RN position.

Orientation, mentoring and support

As a newly graduated nurse at Seattle Children's, you'll receive orientation and ongoing support to help you succeed.

• New Graduate Orientation: Depending on your clinical area, orientation usually lasts eight to 12 weeks or longer. Clinical nurse specialists and educators support new graduate nurses through the orientation process.
• Nurse Mentor Program: As a newly licensed nurse, we will pair you with an experienced nurse who has been trained in mentoring. For a full year, you and your mentor are paid for one-on-one meetings where advice and support are given to ease your transition from a new hire to an expert in professional practice. Many pairs continue to meet informally long after their official match ends.
• New RN Support Group: Monthly meetings where you and other nurses in your first or second year of practice get together with experienced nurses to share, vent and learn from one another and others in the Children's community. New nurses drive the group's agenda. Participants earn continuing education credit for attending meetings that feature guest speakers.