New Graduate RN Resident Fall 2026 (Aug/Oct) Cohorts

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago provides superior pediatric care in a setting that offers the latest benefits and innovations in medical technology, research and family-friendly design. As the largest pediatric provider in the region with a 140-year legacy of excellence, kids and their families are at the center of all we do. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is ranked in all 10 specialties by the U.S. News & World Report.

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

We are excited to offer the opportunity for our Fall 2026 New Graduate RN Residency program!  

Start Date: August 24, 2026​

• Graduation by May 24, 2026 (Education verification will be sent to IDFPR by this date - not walk date.)

• Test for NCLEX no later than July 13, 2026.

Start Date: October 19, 2026​

• Graduation by July 19, 2026 (Education verification will be sent to IDFPR by this date - not walk date.)

• Test for NCLEX no later than September 8, 2026.

Start date will be determined via graduation date AND unit availability.

Please ensure you attach a resume that includes your graduation date and degree.

Timeline

Applications Accepted: February 16-23, 2026. The posting will close promptly at 9am on February 23, 2026.. We encourage you to apply early. Some units may close early if a high volume of candidates is received. Applications will not be accepted outside of this time frame (no exceptions.)

Interviews: March 2- 27, 2026. You will be contacted via email and/or phone if selected for an interview at any point during this time frame. We are not able to accommodate onsite tours/visit outside of a scheduled interview.

Offers: Offers will be extended the week of March 30th 2026 until all positions are filled.

*You will receive a follow up email within 3 business days of applying. Please follow the directions carefully as there are multiple steps to the application process and you will not be considered until all are complete *

Supplemental items are due no later than Tues February 24, 2026 @ 5pm for consideration. No late exceptions will be granted.

Please refer to our website for general new grad Q & A. https://www.luriechildrens.org/en/for-healthcare-professionals/education/medical-education-training/residencies/rn-residency-program/ 

Please review the below links and unit descriptions prior to applying. Not all units listed below are hiring for the current cohort. After your application is reviewed, you will receive a list of units currently considering new grads and asked to rank them by interest.

Unit Overview

https://careers.luriechildrens.org/globalassets/career-site/documents/rn-residency-program-overview.pdf

Resident Program Overview

https://careers.luriechildrens.org/globalassets/career-site/documents/unit-details-and-overview.pdf

Emergency Department

Our 45-bed Emergency Department (ED) is a designated City of Chicago and State of Illinois Level I trauma center which treats some 58,000 children annually. The ED consists of four 10-bed Pods, which includes four trauma beds and one procedure room. Nurses in this unit care for children with a wide range of diagnoses, ranging from multiple illnesses to the most severe multiple traumas. They are certified on Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Adult Cardiac Life Support, Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course and Trauma Nursing Care Course. The professional nurses work collegially with physicians, paramedics, respiratory therapists, and social workers to triage and provide care. 

•    Schedule: Night shift, every other weekend
•    Orientation length: Internship 6 months
•    Orientation classes: Fluid and electrolytes, sedation, managing the trauma patient, child abuse/sexual assault, diabetic ketoacidosis, fever in the neonate, rapid sequence intubation, managing the adult patient in the pediatric E.D., sickle cell disease, restraint and seclusion.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

The division’s 64 bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is designated by the state of Illinois as a Level III NICU and provides the highest level of care to the most critically ill newborns in the region. The division cares for more than 2,000 infants each year. As one of the top programs in the State and region, we received transfers from 45 hospitals last year and we consistently receive the most referrals in Illinois from other Level IV NICU facilities. Our Neonatology program is nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report. Patients in our NICU have immediate onsite access to 70 pediatric medical and surgical subspecialists, which allows us to treat a patient needs, no matter how complex. Our team includes highly experienced neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, neonatal nurses, developmental care specialists, respiratory therapists, nutritionists, social workers and child life specialists. We take a family-centered approach to care. 
•    Schedule: Night shift, every other weekend
•    Orientation length: Internship 22 weeks
•    Orientation classes: General NICU, NCAST, STABLE, computerized charting, prematurity, respiratory, surgical, respiratory emergency, observation experiences (ECMO, OR, Transport), neonatal resuscitation provider.

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

The nurses in this 60-bed unit provide care for critically ill infants and children who require close monitoring and life support systems. Our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) provides top-quality care using the most recent advancements in equipment and techniques with specialized attention to critical care and other specialty needs. PICU nurses participate in an interprofessional approach to the quality treatment of patients and their families with medically complex diseases, organ transplantation, multiple traumas, various respiratory illnesses, and many other pediatric critical conditions. The latest interventions and treatments are available in the PICU, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT), specialty ventilation techniques, and transplant services. The PICU provides family-centered care through bringing family members into care plan meetings and daily rounds which are led by PICU nurses. Additionally, PICU nurses care for patients in the robust Pulmonary Habilitation Program which supports families as they train to care for their child who will be discharged home on a ventilator. 

• Schedule: day/night rotating shift, every other weekend

• Orientation length: Internship, new graduate – 24 weeks; Non-PICU RN experienced – 18 to 20 weeks

• Orientation classes: GI, GU, Skills, Medical, Respiratory, Hematology/Oncology, Cardiovascular, Neurology, Stress, Coping, and Compassion

Cancer and Blood Disorders Unit

The Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders consists of a 48-bed specialty inpatient unit, 21-room clinic space, and 26-private room outpatient infusion center. The division offers a family-centered, interprofessional approach to providing the highest quality diagnostic and treatment services for children and adolescents with cancer, hematologic and immunologic disorders and bone marrow transplant.  
•    Schedule: Rotating day/night shift, every other weekend
•    Orientation length: New-graduate RN Internship approximately 4 months
•    Orientation classes: Introduction to Hematology/Oncology, APHON Chemotherapy Certification, Stem Cell Transplant Class 

Neurology/Endocrine/Neurosurgery/Orthopedic Surgery Unit

•     The nurses who work on this dynamic 32-bed inpatient unit care for patients receiving medical and surgical care in a variable acuity setting. The 19th floor is comprised of a highly skilled interdisciplinary team of nurses and allied health professionals with specialty knowledge in Neuroscience, including Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Epilepsy. This team also helps to support primary investigators with inpatient clinical research trials. The 19th floor has a level IV comprehensive Epilepsy Center for advanced diagnostics and a robust epilepsy surgical program. The nurses on this floor also provide specialized care for patients receiving Orthopedic and Neurosurgical procedures, Endocrinology and Clinical Research services, and the patients seen in the Center for Autonomic Medicine in Pediatrics. Common diagnoses treated on this floor include: spina bifida, head trauma, seizures, hydrocephalus, encephalitis, brain and spinal cord tumors, diabetes, hypoglycemia, scoliosis, hip dysplasia and others. 

•    Schedule: Night shift, every other weekend
•    Orientation length: New-graduate RN Internship approximately 4 months
•    Orientation classes: Variable 

Pediatric Medical Surgical Unit

The nurses in this 48-bed acute medical and surgical unit utilize a patient and family-centered, interprofessional approach to provide compassionate and high quality care for children of all ages with a range of complex illnesses and diseases. 20th Floor nurses treat medical patients with gastrointestinal, liver, and kidney diagnoses and surgical patients requiring pediatric general surgery, specialty surgery, and transplantations. The most common diagnoses treated include: appendicitis, nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, short gut syndrome, biliary atresia, and pectus excavatum.  
•    Schedule: Night shift, every other weekend
•    Orientation length: Internship 14 weeks
•    Orientation classes: Pediatric Surgery/GI, Kidney, Skills Day

General Medical, Infectious Disease, Pulmonary, Allergy Unit

•    The 21st floor is a 48-bed unit serving the general medical patient population. The 21st floor is the primary admitting area for specialty medical services of Pulmonary Medicine and Infectious Diseases. Our patient care team uses a family-centered approach to identifying patient needs and developing care management plans.
•    Schedule: Night shift, every other weekend
•    Orientation length: Internship 14 weeks
•    Orientation classes: Variable

Cardiac Care Unit

The Cardiac Care Unit is a 44-bed acuity adaptable unit. We serve patients with all types of cardiac disease and illness including congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmias, and heart transplant. The CCU nurses care for patients ranging from birth through adolescence and into adulthood in some cases. The acuity adaptable model of care allows us to treat patients who are critically ill, acutely ill, and everywhere in between. All nurses in the CCU are critical-care-trained with the ability to provide elite care utilizing ventricular assist devices, continuous renal replacement therapy, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and other complex care delivery modalities. 

•    Schedule: Night shift, every other weekend
•    Orientation length: Six months in duration for new graduate nurses. 
•    Orientation classes: Variable

Resource Team

The Resource Team is a team of nurses who provide supplemental staffing (full time/ benefit eligible position) to a variety of patient care areas, including inpatient, emergency department, psychiatry, pre- and post-procedural services, Almost Home Kids and ambulatory, in response to increased acuity, census, and staffing fluctuations. The team provides units the opportunity to maximize staffing and scheduling flexibility, while minimizing overtime, incentive pay and agency usage.
•    Schedule: Night shift, every other weekend
•    Orientation length: Internship 4 months in the acute care areas followed by additional orientation to the ICUs and other areas at a later time
•    Orientation classes: Unit based classes, PALS and NRP

Operating Room

Lurie Children's has 21 operating room suites in which approximately 17,900 procedures are performed each year. Surgical services offered include cardiovascular, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, pediatric general surgery, urology, orthopedic, dental, robotic, fetal and transplant surgery.
•    Schedule: Shift, call and requirements to be determined after orientation
•    Orientation length: New Grad RN Internship, 9 months
•    Orientation classes: Preoperative nursing curriculum for new graduates and nurses without OR experience

Almost Home Kids – Chicago Location

Almost Home Kids - Naperville Location

Almost Home Kids provides a bridge from hospital to home through an innovative community-based care system for children with medical complexities. We respond to the needs of families, train caregivers, offer respite care, advocate for accessibility and inclusion and educate healthcare professionals.
We serve children who are technology assisted or have complex medical needs are eligible for our services.
We offer three care programs at Almost Home Kids: transitional, respite and respite transportation care.
Transition Care referrals are accepted from Hospital Discharge Planners, Social Workers, Nurses, and Physicians. Parents who feel their child would benefit from Transitional Care can contact their child’s community or hospital care coordinator or social worker.
In addition to the care programs, Almost Home Kids provides:
•    Support to the family by actively seeking financial assistance
•    Training programs for families and health care providers
•    Community support, training and exceptional medical care as your child grows. Once a child receives care  at Almost Home Kids, they are part of the Almost Home Kids Family.
•    Schedule: Night shift, every other weekend 
•    Orientation length: New Grad RN Internship, 12-16 weeks 
•    Orientation classes: Variable

Job Description:

This position provides family centered care utilizing the Relationship Based Care model with a focus on relationships with patients, colleagues, and self. Understands and integrates appropriate growth and development processes into care delivery of patients with acute and chronic diseases, disorders found in neonatal, pediatric, adolescent, and adult patients. Applies enhanced specialty knowledge and skills to provide best outcomes to patients within the designated patient care area(s). Utilizes the nursing process and performs responsibilities aligning with the Magnet® Model: New Knowledge, Innovations & Improvements, Exemplary Professional Practice, Structural Empowerment, and Transformational Leadership with a constant focus on Empirical Outcomes. Demonstrates nursing excellence, desire for constant professional growth and an inclusive approach to care and collaboration. Actively supports the organization and department’s goals and core principles that guide Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Min Quals:

• Associate degree in nursing or higher required.  Required to enroll in a BSN program within 2 years of start date (tuition reimbursement can be applied).

• Less than 1 year RN experience at time of cohort start date

• Current licensure as a registered nurse in the State of Illinois. 

• Basic Life Support certification from the American Heart Association.

• Ability to effectively communicate with patients/families, physicians and hospital staff.

• Special certifications may be required by the department.

Job Duties:

• Performs nursing assessments utilizing a variety of assessment methods and/or area-specific tools.

• Develops or individualizes existing plans of care and develops goals relative to family needs.  Evaluates and documents changes to the plan.

• Develops or individualizes teaching plans/protocols to meet patient and family learning needs.  Identifies patient preferences and needs including motivation to learn.  Evaluates and documents changes to the plan.

• Performs nursing care according to procedures/protocols.  Anticipates impending emergent situations and intervenes effectively. 

• Communicates with the family and members of the interprofessional team to identify health care needs.  Communicates changes in patient status.  Utilizes appropriate resources for referral or consultations.

• Keeps up to date in nursing practice by utilizing the best evidence in current nursing and healthcare literature for information and problem solving.

• Incorporates current hospital and departmental quality initiatives into daily activities.

• Adheres to communication, service excellence and professional image standards that support the hospital vision, mission and philosophy.

• Works cooperatively as a team member to foster achievement of unit/hospital goals.

• Identifies learning needs and seeks resources to advance nursing practice and achieve professional goals.

• Performs job functions adhering to Magnet core principles with a customer service focus of new knowledge, exemplary practice, structural empowerment, and transformational leadership, to provide the highest quality care and service to our patients, families, co-workers and others. Creating an environment that welcomes is inclusive, safe, reliable and equitable for all. 

• Demonstrates knowledge of pertinent aspects and competency with protocols related to the use of chemical disinfection, high level disinfection, and sterilization if required as part of the responsibilities of the role.

• Other job functions as assigned.

Competencies of RN 1:

• New Knowledge, Innovations, and Improvement:

• Participates in new practice initiatives, as evidenced by: incorporating QI initiatives, using best practices. Utilizing resources to influence care. 

Exemplary Professional Practice:

• Solidifies critical thinking and anticipates care, needs for patient/family, and interprofessional care. Demonstrates nursing process when providing patient education. 

Structural Empowerment: 

• Participates in governance activities on a unit. Identifies opportunities for professional growth and sets goals to address them.

Transformational Leadership: 

• Demonstrates leadership that impacts the care environment, creates change through inspiration, works collectively with peers to support organizational goals and advances the profession of nursing

Education

Bachelor's Degree: Nursing (Required)

Pay Range

$37.00-$61.05 Hourly

At Lurie Children’s, we are committed to competitive and fair compensation aligned with market rates and internal equity, reflecting individual contributions, experience, and expertise. The pay range for this job indicates minimum and maximum targets for the position. Ranges are regularly reviewed to stay aligned with market conditions. In addition to base salary, Lurie Children’s offer a comprehensive rewards package that may include differentials for some hourly employees, leadership incentives for select roles, health and retirement benefits, and wellbeing programs. For more details on other compensation, consult your recruiter or click the following link to learn more about our benefits.

Benefit Statement

For full time and part time employees who work 20 or more hours per week we offer a generous benefits package that includes:

Medical, dental and vision insurance

Employer paid group term life and disability

Employer contribution toward Health Savings Account

Flexible Spending Accounts

Paid Time Off (PTO), Paid Holidays and Paid Parental Leave

403(b) with a 5% employer match

Various voluntary benefits:

• Supplemental Life, AD&D and Disability

• Critical Illness, Accident and Hospital Indemnity coverage

• Tuition assistance

• Student loan servicing and support

• Adoption benefits

• Backup Childcare and Eldercare

• Employee Assistance Program, and other specialized behavioral health services and resources for employees and family members

• Discount on services at Lurie Children’s facilities

• Discount purchasing program

There’s a Place for You with Us

At Lurie Children’s, we embrace and celebrate building a team with a variety of backgrounds, skills, and viewpoints — recognizing that different life experiences strengthen our workplace and the care we provide to the Chicago community and beyond. We treat everyone fairly, appreciate differences, and make meaningful connections that foster belonging. This is a place where you can be your best, so we can give our best to the patients and families who trust us with their care.  

 

Lurie Children’s and its affiliates are equal employment opportunity employers.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, protected veteran status, order of protection status, protected genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Support email: peoplequestions@luriechildrens.org