Jobs › Children's Wisconsin

Pediatric Nurse Cardiac PICU full time nights

Children's Wisconsin · Milwaukee, WI

Posted Aug 21, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

Apply at Children's Wisconsin

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about your ICU experience and what you know about caring for children with congenital heart disease.

What they are checking: Whether their critical care background prepares them for cardiac PICU, and whether they're honest about gaps.

Tell me about a time you supported a family during a very scary time in the ICU.

What they are checking: Whether they can communicate with compassion and honesty when parents are frightened.

Orientation is six months and may be on any shift. How do you approach learning from a preceptor?

What they are checking: Whether they are coachable and will ask questions in a demanding specialty.

This is a full-time night position with weekend and holiday rotation. How will you manage nights long term?

What they are checking: Whether they have a realistic plan for night shift so they stay safe and stay in the role.

What would you do

Your post-op patient's chest tube output suddenly increases and blood pressure drops. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they recognize bleeding or tamponade quickly and escalate right away.

A rhythm change appears on the monitor that you don't recognize. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they assess the patient first and escalate quickly rather than waiting or guessing.

How do you speak up if you are worried about a patient and the provider doesn't seem concerned?

What they are checking: Whether they will advocate and use the chain of command when a patient is at risk.

About the work

Walk me through your assessment of a baby just back from heart surgery.

What they are checking: Whether they know what to check first, like perfusion, lines, chest tubes, rhythm and drips.

How do you manage multiple vasoactive drips safely?

What they are checking: Whether they understand titration, line safety and double checks for high-risk medications.

What do you know about single ventricle physiology, and why do oxygen goals differ for these patients?

What they are checking: Whether they understand that normal targets can harm some cardiac kids, which is key in this unit.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Children's Wisconsin from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Children's Wisconsin.

At Children’s Wisconsin, we believe kids deserve the best. Children’s Wisconsin is a nationally recognized health system dedicated solely to the health and well-being of children. We provide primary care, specialty care, urgent care, emergency care, community health services, foster and adoption services, child and family counseling, child advocacy services and family resource centers. Our reputation draws patients and families from around the country. We offer a wide variety of rewarding career opportunities and are seeking individuals dedicated to helping us achieve our vision of the healthiest kids in the country. If you want to work for an organization that makes a difference for children and families, and encourages you to be at your best every day, please apply today. Please follow this link for a closer look at what it’s like to work at Children’s Wisconsin: https://www.instagram.com/lifeatcw/ We are hiring for the October and November 2026 and seeking candidates with minimum of one year ICU RN experience- pediatric experience preferred. May consider August grads who have had acute or critical care hospital tech or cna experience This is a full time 12 hour night shift RN position with every 3rd weekend rotation and a holiday rotation. Orientation is full time for 6 months and could be on any shift based on preceptor assignments. Cardiac Pediatric Critical Care- W3 The Cardiac Pediatric Critical Care Unit is a 24-bed intensive care unit. Staff provides admission-to-discharge care for children with known cardiac anomalies requiring surgical or medical management. The Herma Heart Institute at Children’s Wisconsin is the largest pediatric cardiac care center in the state and is a national leader in pediatric cardiology and heart surgery. Job Summary Performs as a partner on the care management team. Provides coordination and management of patient care to pediatric patients and families within a continuum of care. Delegates patient care activities as appropriate within a care management assignment. Functions within professional and hospital standards. Essential Functions - Clinical Judgment: Uses critical thinking and nursing skills in caring for patients and families which are acquired through a process of integrating education, experiential knowledge and evidence-based guidelines. Develops, implements and evaluates a plan of care that is collaborative and addresses the needs of the patient and family resulting in optimal patient outcomes. - Caring Practices: Responds to the uniqueness of patients and families by providing and coordinating care that meets those needs. Creates a compassionate therapeutic environment to promote comfort and prevent suffering. Acts within professional boundaries as per ANA code of ethics and organization code of conduct. - Response to Diversity: Recognizes, appreciates, and incorporates differences in the provision of care. Utilizes communication skills that are respectful and non-discriminatory in a manner that is therapeutic for both the patient and the family. Incorporates patient/family values, cultural beliefs, and religious preferences in the nursing plan of care. - Clinical Inquiry: Questions and evaluates practice, and participates in supporting or determining changes in clinical practice within the professional practice model. Seeks and applies best evidence/research in practice. Participates in continuous quality improvement to deliver safe, quality nursing care, enhance patient/family satisfaction, and improve individual skills/practice. - Advocacy/Moral Agency: Serves as a moral agent on behalf of the patient/family. Advocates for the concerns of the patient/family/community. - Facilitation of Learning: Facilitates patient, family and staff learning and community education. Integrates teaching and patient/family learning throughout delivery of care, including evaluation using measurable outcomes and assessment of health literacy. - Collaboration: Works in partnership with patients, families, and the interdisciplinary team to achieve optimal and realistic outcomes for the best interest of the patient/family. Evaluates what nursing care tasks can be appropriately delegated given Wisconsin statutes scope of practice for the registered nurse as well as established competencies for the technical staff that will complete the task. Coordinates care in conjunction with other care givers, physicians and other disciplines; acts as a resource/advocate to others for specific patients/families. - Systems Thinking: Supports the missions and strategic initiatives of the hospital. Demonstrates awareness of the holistic interrelationships that exist within and across health care systems. Identifies and works toward the accomplishment of personal, unit/area and division of nursing goals. Works with patient care manager to identify possible areas for operational and capital budgeting considerations. Education: - Associate's Degree ADN required - Bachelor's Degree BSN preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities - Analytical skills are necessary to assess complex patient conditions effectively and to develop comprehensive plans of care. Synthesizes multiple sources of information to assist in the resolution of human responses to complex problems. - Interpersonal and communication skills sufficient to interact effectively with interdisciplinary health team members and consumers. Ability to delegate patient care activities effectively to unlicensed staff as appropriate and where indicated. - The ability to represent the organization and serve consumers in a professional manner and promote a positive image of the organization and its services. - Mental and sensory abilities to read, process and interpret clinical data. - Ability to rotate shifts and/or work flexible hours to meet patient care needs. Licenses and Certifications: - BLS-Basic Life Support Healthcare Provider - American Heart Association/American Red Cross/National Safety Council required - PALS-Pediatric Advanced Life Support - American Heart Association/American Red Cross/National Safety Council within 90 Days required - + one of the following: - N/A - License RN-Registered Nurse (30) - State of Wisconsin - License RN-Registered Nurse (AZ Compact) - State of Arizona - License RN-Registered Nurse (LA Compact) - State of Louisiana - License RN-Registered Nurse (KY Compact) - State of Kentucky Patient Care Responsibility - Provides care appropriate to patient population and as described in applicable policies and procedures. Required for All Jobs: - This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be requested in the performance of this job. - Employment is at-will. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise. Children's Wisconsin is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for all employees. We treat everyone with dignity, respect, and fairness. We do not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status or condition protected by the law. Certifications/Licenses: + one of the following: - N/A, BLS-Basic Life Support Healthcare Provider - American Heart Association/American Red Cross/National Safety Council, License RN-Registered Nurse (30) - State of Wisconsin, License RN-Registered Nurse (AZ Compact) - State of Arizona, License RN-Registered Nurse (KY Compact) - State of Kentucky, License RN-Registered Nurse (LA Compact) - State of Louisiana, PALS-Pediatric Advanced Life Support - American Heart Association/American Red Cross/National Safety Council

Apply at Children's Wisconsin