Kickstart your nursing career

• Graduate of an accredited ADN, BSN or MSN program within 18 months of the cohort start date

• If graduating with an ADN, applicants must be enrolled in a BSN or MSN program

• Current California RN license by program start date

• Current BLS certification from the American Heart Association

• Less than 12 months RN work experience by the program start date

We’re proud to offer opportunities in our inpatient acute care and critical care units, as well as our Emergency Department. Participating units typically include:

• Neonatal ICU (NICU)

• Pediatric ICU (PICU)

• Cardiothoracic ICU (CTICU)

• Medical Unit

• Surgical Unit

• Inpatient Hematology/Oncology Unit

• Medical Behavioral Unit

• Child & Adolescent Psych Services Unit

• Emergency Care Center

Units participating in the RN New Graduate Transition to Practice Program may change per cohort, based on department and organizational needs. Please refer to the job posting for the units participating in that cohort.

• Applications for the Transition to Program must include a resume, cover letter, and 1 letter of recommendation.

  • Resume (1-2 pages)

    • List all clinical rotations completed throughout your nursing program. Include specialty area/unit, site location, and total number of hours completed for each rotation.

    • Specify your nursing program culminating clinical experience, e.g., practicum, preceptorship, capstone, student externship. Include the specialty area/unit, site location, and total number of hours completed.

    • Please ensure you’ve listed all academic achievements, work, volunteer, and leadership experience that you’d like to showcase.

  • Cover letter (1 page)

    • Please share with us why you are interested in pediatric nursing at Rady Children’s Hospital.

    • Be sure to indicate your top 2 specialty tracks of interest, electing from the participating units. Please note, you could be reviewed by any and all units participating in any given cohort.

  • Letter of recommendation (1 page)

    • Include 1 letter from a clinical instructor, preceptor, or supervisor who can speak to your abilities as a new graduate nurse and potential for success working with the pediatric and/or neonatal population.

• Due to the number of applications received, incomplete applications are unable to be considered.

• Application Review - Allow 4 weeks from application close date

• Invitation to Selected Finalists to Interview - Allow 6-8 weeks from application close date

• Interview Facilitation - Allow 8-12 weeks from application close date

• Offer Decisions - Allow 12-15 weeks from application close date

Please note, these review periods are subject to change based on unit and organizational needs.

Please be aware that RN New Graduate Transition to Practice Program positions are limited, making selection among our large applicant pool highly competitive. As such, we are unable to provide status updates regarding individual applications. However, all applicants will receive a formal update once final selections are made.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide status updates regarding individual applications. However, all applicants will receive a formal update via email once final selections are made.

No, we do not. Our RN New Graduate Transition to Practice Program is specifically tailored to enhance the experience of the New Graduate Nurse. The Transition to Practice Program is for new graduate nurses, who have less than 12 months of RN experience, and have graduated from an accredited ADN, BSN or MSN program within 18 months of cohort start. If you are an experienced Registered Nurse with an interest in pediatrics, please find details about our New to Pediatric program below.

All are welcome to apply! Keep in mind that a California RN license must be obtained by the cohort start date, so begin your application with the California Board of Registered Nursing with sufficient time for processing (up to 12 weeks).Please note, we are not accepting interim permits at this time.

You may login to your Rady Children’s account and review your application at any time.

Documents are unable to be updated or added once an application is submitted. Updated documents may be provided to a hiring manager or Human Resources if you’re selected for an interview.

Yes! Applications are reviewed by cohort, so you will need to reapply and provide updated documents for each new application.

Yes! The assumption is that you will graduate and obtain an RN license prior to the cohort start date, so you are welcome to apply before obtaining one. You will not need to submit an updated resume once these requirements are completed.

• Nurses with less than 12 months RN work experience by the program start date are eligible to apply.

• Nurses with over 12 months of RN work experience are encouraged to apply to our regular Registered Nurse openings.

• Applicants with experience in the clinical area of interest will receive the highest regard for consideration.

• Acquiring relevant pediatric experience via senior preceptorship/practicum, clinical rotation(s), intern/externship, volunteer, and/or employment as a nursing assistant is strongly advised.

At this time, we are not able to fulfill New Graduate Nurse tour requests. Applicants invited to interview, will receive a tour from department leadership at time of interview. Unfortunately, we are also unable to accommodate requests for job shadowing opportunities or nurse externships.

Please review this page in its entirety as it is often updated. If you find yourself still having urgent questions, you can contact our New Grad team at NewGradRN@rchsd.org.