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PICU Nurse

PICU Nurse

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What is a PICU Nurse

A PICU, or a pediatric ICU, nurse is a critical care nurse who specializes in caring for critically ill infants, children, and teenagers in a pediatric intensive care unit. PICU nurses are experts at helping children and their families when they need it most- they are literal lifesavers!  

A PICU nurse is dedicated to providing compassionate nursing care to the very sickest children. To give the best care possible, PICU nurses combine a deep understanding of physiology, keen observation, and top-notch technical skills with advanced and cutting-edge treatments. 

PICU patients will capture your heart, command your attention, and keep you on your toes! Keep reading to learn more about this exciting, challenging, and extremely rewarding career path.   

What does a PICU Nurse Do?

A PICU nurse works in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, or PICU. These children are sicker and require more frequent observation, nursing care, and intervention than those on a general pediatric unit. PICU nursing care may include:

  • Performing in-depth assessments specific to critically ill children
  • Administering a wide range of life-saving medications
  • Obtaining frequent blood work and trending lab results
  • Alerting the PICU care team to both subtle and significant changes
  • Providing education to children and families
  • Responding to emergencies, performing CPR, and resuscitating children who have stopped breathing or lost a pulse. 
  • Managing PICU-specific equipment such as ventilators, dialysis machines, or ECMO circuits

A PICU nurse provides excellent nursing care to their patients, and they provide support to their parents and families as well. PICU nurses can calm nerves, earn trust, and explain complex information to those in their care.  

While you will have many emotionally charged and challenging moments as a PICU nurse, caring for critically ill children and their families is rewarding. You will make a meaningful and positive impact every day you go to work.

PICU Nurse

What skills does a PICU Nurse need?

PICU nurses have an incredibly specialized skill set. Kids are not just little adults- and critically ill children require extra special attention and care! 

A PICU nurse keeps a watchful eye over their patients. They constantly trend and evaluate how they respond to medications, procedures, and interventions. 

A PICU nurse is able to calculate and administer pediatric-specific doses of medications, including life-saving emergency medications. They are pros at placing IVs on the sickest and tiniest patients and have rock-solid technical skills. 

PICU nurses are calm under pressure. Their knowledge, skills, and demeanor enable them to effectively guide their young patients and families through challenging and life-threatening situations. 

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What skills does a PICU Nurse need?

PICU nurses have an incredibly specialized skill set. Kids are not just little adults- and critically ill children require extra special attention and care! 

A PICU nurse keeps a watchful eye over their patients. They constantly trend and evaluate how they respond to medications, procedures, and interventions. 

A PICU nurse is able to calculate and administer pediatric-specific doses of medications, including life-saving emergency medications. They are pros at placing IVs on the sickest and tiniest patients and have rock-solid technical skills. 

PICU nurses are calm under pressure. Their knowledge, skills, and demeanor enable them to effectively guide their young patients and families through challenging and life-threatening situations. 

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PICU Nurses

Work settings for PICU Nurses

A PICU nurse typically works in a pediatric intensive care unit. PICUs are commonly located in children’s hospitals, large medical centers, or academic teaching facilities. Some PICUs can be found in smaller, community hospitals.

Large medical centers may offer a pediatric ICU that is specific to cardiac patients - a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit or PCICU, in addition to a pediatric intensive care unit. PCICUs care for children receiving heart surgery, heart transplants, and specialized treatment for other cardiac conditions. 

Some PICU nurses receive specialized training to work on pediatric critical care transport teams. These nurses transport critically ill children in ambulances, helicopters, or fixed-wing airplanes to a facility that provides them with the specialized care they need.

Common Cases PICU Nurses Encounter

PICU nurses encounter an extensive range of medical conditions. When patients need PICU care, they are sicker and need closer attention and care than what is provided in a pediatric unit. 

PICU patients often require advanced respiratory, cardiac, and other support. These are some of the most common PICU diagnoses:

  • Medical- Respiratory infections such as pneumonia, influenza, and RSV. PICU nurses also care for children experiencing complications from sepsis and septic shock, seizures, dehydration, diabetes, or cancer. 
  • Surgical and Trauma- Specialized or complicated surgeries, such as brain or spine surgery, facial surgery, and orthopedic and abdominal surgeries. Children involved in traumatic accidents will often need PICU care for their injuries.  
  • Cardiac- Repair and management of heart conditions that children were born with or developed. These conditions may require specialized cardiac surgeries or interventions. 
  • Others- Any type of pediatric transplant, such as heart, lung, liver, or kidneys, will require care from a PICU nurse. PICU nurses also care for children in psychiatric crises.

How to Become A PICU Nurse

To become a PICU  nurse, you will need to complete an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. Here’s what to do after you complete your degree: 

  • Pass the NCLEX-RN exam and apply for your RN license. Be sure to check out our licensure guide so that you're ready to work, no matter where life takes you!
  • Apply to work in a pediatric setting in a hospital. Many PICUs provide specialized training programs that allow new graduate nurses to begin working directly in a PICU. 
  • Other PICUs require previous pediatric experience before beginning a PICU career. 
  • Continue your education and seek learning opportunities to further solidify your PICU skills!

How to Advance Your Career As A PICU Nurse

A PICU nurse can advance their career by getting an advanced nursing degree- such as a master’s or doctoral degree with a pediatric focus. With an advanced degree, you can become a:

  • Acute care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (ACPNP)
  • PICU clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
  • PICU nurse manager
  • PICU nurse educator

There are options to further your career as a PICU nurse without an advanced degree. With further training, you can become a:

  • Critical care transport nurse
  • Certified in more advanced PICU technology- such as specializing in the care of critically ill children requiring dialysis or advanced types of cardiac support devices such as ECMO circuits, ventricular assist devices (VADs), or Berlin Hearts.

Education Requirements & Helpful Certification

PICU nurses need an associate's or bachelor’s degree in nursing and a nursing license. Here’s what comes next: 

  • PICU nurses need to be Basic Life Support (BLS) certified, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certified, and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certified. 
  • After working as a PICU nurse, you can obtain your Pediatric CCRN, or Pediatric Critical Care RN Certification. This certification demonstrates your expertise and dedication to caring for critically ill children. To be eligible to take the CCRN, you must have at least two years and 1,750 direct hours of patient care as a nurse in a PICU. 875 of these hours need to be in the year preceding your exam. Alternatively, you can have at least five years of experience and 2,000 hours of direct patient care, with 144 hours in the year before your exam. 
  • Consider additional certifications like Pediatric Care After Resuscitation (PCAR) and Trauma Nursing Core Course- TNCC

Average Salary For PICU Nurses

PICU nurses make between $64,896-$93,252, with a median salary of $80,019, according to Salary.com. PICU nurses who choose to specialize further, work as travel nurses, or obtain advanced degrees can earn substantially more. 

PICU nursing pay varies by location. The May 2021 Bureau of Labor and Statistics report indicates that California, Hawaii, and Oregon have the highest pay, while South Dakota, Alabama, and Mississippi have the lowest pay for nurses. This list is not specific to PICU nurses, but a PICU nurse's salary likely follows this trend.

Specialty Organizations & Communities

American Association of Critical Care Nurses- AACN

Society of Pediatric Cardiac Nurses- SPCN

Ideal Personality Traits

  • PICU nurses love and relate well to children and their parents.
  • Excellent attention to detail and observation skills.
  • Calm under chaos! If you thrive in intense situations and can rise to the occasion under stress, PICU nursing can be an excellent fit for you. 
  • Enjoy making a meaningful impact on the lives of critically ill patients and their families.
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PICU Nurse

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Education Requirements

PICU nurses need an associate's or bachelor’s degree in nursing and a nursing license. Here’s what comes next: 

  • PICU nurses need to be Basic Life Support (BLS) certified, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certified, and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certified. 
  • After working as a PICU nurse, you can obtain your Pediatric CCRN, or Pediatric Critical Care RN Certification. This certification demonstrates your expertise and dedication to caring for critically ill children. To be eligible to take the CCRN, you must have at least two years and 1,750 direct hours of patient care as a nurse in a PICU. 875 of these hours need to be in the year preceding your exam. Alternatively, you can have at least five years of experience and 2,000 hours of direct patient care, with 144 hours in the year before your exam. 
  • Consider additional certifications like Pediatric Care After Resuscitation (PCAR) and Trauma Nursing Core Course- TNCC

How to advance/career pathway

A PICU nurse can advance their career by getting an advanced nursing degree- such as a master’s or doctoral degree with a pediatric focus. With an advanced degree, you can become a:

  • Acute care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (ACPNP)
  • PICU clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
  • PICU nurse manager
  • PICU nurse educator

There are options to further your career as a PICU nurse without an advanced degree. With further training, you can become a:

  • Critical care transport nurse
  • Certified in more advanced PICU technology- such as specializing in the care of critically ill children requiring dialysis or advanced types of cardiac support devices such as ECMO circuits, ventricular assist devices (VADs), or Berlin Hearts.

RESPONSIBILITIES

MOST COMMON CASES

PICU nurses encounter an extensive range of medical conditions. When patients need PICU care, they are sicker and need closer attention and care than what is provided in a pediatric unit. 

PICU patients often require advanced respiratory, cardiac, and other support. These are some of the most common PICU diagnoses:

  • Medical- Respiratory infections such as pneumonia, influenza, and RSV. PICU nurses also care for children experiencing complications from sepsis and septic shock, seizures, dehydration, diabetes, or cancer. 
  • Surgical and Trauma- Specialized or complicated surgeries, such as brain or spine surgery, facial surgery, and orthopedic and abdominal surgeries. Children involved in traumatic accidents will often need PICU care for their injuries.  
  • Cardiac- Repair and management of heart conditions that children were born with or developed. These conditions may require specialized cardiac surgeries or interventions. 
  • Others- Any type of pediatric transplant, such as heart, lung, liver, or kidneys, will require care from a PICU nurse. PICU nurses also care for children in psychiatric crises.

How to become a

PICU Nurse

To become a PICU  nurse, you will need to complete an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. Here’s what to do after you complete your degree: 

  • Pass the NCLEX-RN exam and apply for your RN license. Be sure to check out our licensure guide so that you're ready to work, no matter where life takes you!
  • Apply to work in a pediatric setting in a hospital. Many PICUs provide specialized training programs that allow new graduate nurses to begin working directly in a PICU. 
  • Other PICUs require previous pediatric experience before beginning a PICU career. 
  • Continue your education and seek learning opportunities to further solidify your PICU skills!

Specialty Groups and Communities

American Association of Critical Care Nurses- AACN

Society of Pediatric Cardiac Nurses- SPCN

The Pros

The Cons

smily face illustration

Personality Traits

  • PICU nurses love and relate well to children and their parents.
  • Excellent attention to detail and observation skills.
  • Calm under chaos! If you thrive in intense situations and can rise to the occasion under stress, PICU nursing can be an excellent fit for you. 
  • Enjoy making a meaningful impact on the lives of critically ill patients and their families.
piggy bank illustration

Average Salary

PICU nurses make between $64,896-$93,252, with a median salary of $80,019, according to Salary.com. PICU nurses who choose to specialize further, work as travel nurses, or obtain advanced degrees can earn substantially more. 

PICU nursing pay varies by location. The May 2021 Bureau of Labor and Statistics report indicates that California, Hawaii, and Oregon have the highest pay, while South Dakota, Alabama, and Mississippi have the lowest pay for nurses. This list is not specific to PICU nurses, but a PICU nurse's salary likely follows this trend.

book illustration

Certifications

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Work Setting

A PICU nurse typically works in a pediatric intensive care unit. PICUs are commonly located in children’s hospitals, large medical centers, or academic teaching facilities. Some PICUs can be found in smaller, community hospitals.

Large medical centers may offer a pediatric ICU that is specific to cardiac patients - a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit or PCICU, in addition to a pediatric intensive care unit. PCICUs care for children receiving heart surgery, heart transplants, and specialized treatment for other cardiac conditions. 

Some PICU nurses receive specialized training to work on pediatric critical care transport teams. These nurses transport critically ill children in ambulances, helicopters, or fixed-wing airplanes to a facility that provides them with the specialized care they need.

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