Frequently Asked Questions

We are looking for energetic, passionate nurses that have a desire to care for children; prioritize patient safety in their care; and embrace the diversity of our patients, families and staff.

There is one job posting for each RN residency cohort. The job posting will be posted approximately 14–15 weeks prior to the start of each cohort. Applicants may apply for multiple units through the one job posting. Applicants will choose to apply for either critical care or acute care/ambulatory clinic jobs. During the application process, you will also have the opportunity to indicate with which critical or acute care units you are interested in interviewing.

Check back for updates as dates may possibly change.

If you are viewing this table on a mobile device, please scroll to the right for additional information.

Candidates will submit a cover letter and résumé, and complete a questionnaire. Once your application is submitted, you may be asked for references. During the application process you will also have the opportunity to indicate with which units you are interested in interviewing.

Please include the following on your résumé

• Pediatric clinical rotation
  • Name of hospital or organization
  • Unit or department
  • Number of hours

• Senior practicum or preceptorship
  • Name of hospital or organization
  • Unit or department
  • Specify population (adult or pediatric)
  • Number of hours

Residency opportunities are available in several clinical areas, including:

• Acute care (Medical Unit, Surgical Unit, Cancer and Blood Disorders Center - Inpatient, Rehab Unit)
• Intensive care (Pediatric ICU, Cardiac ICU, Neonatal ICU)
• Acute Care Float Pool (ACFP)
• Ambulatory clinics
• Emergency Department (ED)
• Infusion Services
• Operating Room (OR)
• Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
• Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Unit (PBMU)

Please review the job posting to learn which units are hiring for a cohort.

Please visit our Nursing Careers page to learn more about our nursing units.

You may address your cover letter to the Human Resources Department.

You may apply to positions prior to graduation, but you must graduate, pass the NCLEX, and have a Washington State RN license prior to starting. Please apply for the next cohort if you do not meet these requirements. 

Yes, we typically host an open house for every upcoming cohort just before the application opens. The scheduled open house dates are as follows (dates are subject to change until one month prior to the scheduled date):

• November 2021 Cohort: This in-person Open House is canceled related to COVID-19. Instead, we are able to share a PowerPoint presentation with all of the same content that would have been presented at the Open House. Read the PowerPoint presentation.

Email RN Residency Hiring to RSVP.  

Our open house is an optional event where information will be presented about the RN Residency Program and the nursing units that are hiring for that cohort. There will also be a meet and greet with the RN Residency Program team and nursing leaders and RNs from hiring units. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the RN Residency Program; learn valuable application and interview tips; ask questions; and connect with the Seattle Children's team.

The open house is usually in the evening and lasts about two hours. Drop-ins are welcome! If you have additional questions about the open house, please email us.

If you are unable to attend, much of the information is on this website. Review the RN Residency section, including the FAQs, and the information about nursing units. If you have additional questions, please email us.

All candidates who are selected for the interview process must be available on the dates listed in the above question ‘When do the RN residency cohorts start, and when should I apply?’. The interview will include managers and staff RNs from the units with which you indicated interest.

If you are selected for an interview, you will typically be contacted by e-mail at least 2 weeks prior to the interview date. We will continue to contact applicants up to the hiring event if we have interview availability.  If you do not receive an interview, please apply for the next Nurse Residency cohort

RN Residency job postings have many applicants and are quite competitive. If you are not hired, we encourage you to apply for a future cohort, or consider gaining some pediatric experience in another setting and re-applying in the future.

Nurse residents will work their hired FTE and may work up to 40 hours a week. Please note the first four months of hire are demanding as nurse residents must balance Nurse Residency classes, unit based orientation classes and patient care shifts. Nurse residents may work several days in a row with only a few days off in-between their workdays.

Yes. Each unit has weekend and holiday requirements. You will most likely be hired into a position in which you will work evening or nighttime hours.

It is expected that the nurse resident will attend all residency classes. Nurse residency classes occur monthly. It is the nurse resident’s responsibility to schedule time off around residency classes. Vacation hours must be accrued in order to take time off. Every unit has their own process for requesting time off; you will discuss the process and timing for requesting time off with your nursing leaders once you have been hired.

Changes to shift positions within your unit of hire are based on seniority as outlined in the WSNA contract. In general, it can take a few years to get a day shift position.

Nurse Residency is a yearlong program. Class dates and times will vary throughout residency and will be communicated in advance for you to prepare. In general, Nurse Residency classes are scheduled monthly the same day of the week for each cohort, for example one cohort may have classes on Tuesdays, while another may be on Thursdays. The first four months of hire are demanding as nurse residents must balance Nurse Residency classes, unit based orientation classes and patient care shifts.

Your patient care orientation shifts generally mirror your preceptor’s schedule. This means you can be scheduled any day of the week. Acute care and critical shifts start at the following times: day shift at 7 a.m., evening shift at 3 p.m. and night shift at 7 or 11 p.m. Other departments, such as the ED, PACU, OR and Ambulatory Clinics have other standard shift start times.

For inpatient areas, required attire includes scrub top and pants.  Business causal is the required attire in the ambulatory clinics. Closed-toe shoes are required in all areas. Your badge should be above the waist and visible to others in the hospital at all times.

Nurse residents are paid per their Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) collective bargaining agreement contract and are based on full-time equivalent RN experience.

Visit the Washington State Nursing Commission website.

It usually takes approximately 2 weeks for the Washington Department of Health to award an RN license after a candidate passes the NCLEX exam. However, if the NCLEX exam was taken in a state other than Washington, it may take an additional 4 to 6 weeks transfer the awarded RN license to Washington. Therefore, many candidates will want to plan for up to 8 total weeks between taking/passing the NCLEX exam and a cohort’s start date to ensure that they will be eligible.

In the event that a candidate receives and accepts a job offer for the RN Residency Program but still has a pending RN license at the time of the deadline, we will work with that candidate to attempt to postpone their start date to that of the next available cohort, which is usually around 3 months later. Please note that this is not always possible, and each situation will be considered on a case by case basis. In some cases we may have to rescind the job offer entirely if the RN license deadline is not met.