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Pediatric Nurse Surgical Medical PICU .9 nights

Children's Wisconsin · Milwaukee, WI

Posted Sep 30, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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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 critical care experience, or if you're a new grad, the patient care experience you bring.

What they are checking: Whether their background prepares them for critical care and they're honest about where they need support.

Tell me about a time you cared for a patient who was very unstable.

What they are checking: Whether they can stay calm and organized in high-acuity situations.

This is a .9 night position, and the posting asks for a long-term commitment to nights. How will you manage that?

What they are checking: Whether they can truly commit to nights, which the unit directly asks for.

How do you handle the stress of critical care work and stay healthy?

What they are checking: Whether they have coping habits that help them stay in a demanding role.

What would you do

Your patient's oxygen saturation is dropping and the ventilator is alarming. What do you check?

What they are checking: Whether they troubleshoot in a logical order and escalate quickly.

How do you support a family whose child may not survive?

What they are checking: Whether they can offer honest, compassionate care in the hardest moments.

A provider gives an order you think may be unsafe. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they question unsafe orders respectfully and use the chain of command.

About the work

Walk me through how you would care for a child on a ventilator.

What they are checking: Whether they understand ventilator basics like settings, suctioning, sedation and alarms.

How do you care for a child with sepsis who needs fluids and medications to support their blood pressure?

What they are checking: Whether they understand sepsis care and how to recognize when a child is getting worse.

How do you prevent hospital-acquired infections in critically ill kids?

What they are checking: Whether they follow bundles for central lines and ventilators every time.

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.

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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/ This is a full time 12 hour night shift position in our Surgical Medical PICU. We are looking for new team members to start in fall/winter 2026 Prefer candidates with at least 1 year critical care RN experience- Will consider recent or upcoming new grad candidates who preferably have patient care experience in the hospital setting outside of school. Must be comfortable committing long term to working night shift. Surgical-Medical Pediatric Critical Care- W4 Surgical-Medical Pediatric Critical Care Unit is a 44-bed multispecialty intensive care unit. Nurses here care for the immediate postoperative needs of patients requiring intensive airway management and physiologic monitoring such as those recovering from neuro-surgical procedures, trauma, solid organ transplant, and other surgical procedures. In addition to the surgical population, a variety of medical patients are cared for including chronic needs patients and patients with tracheotomies requiring extensive teaching to be able to be discharged home. Due to the nature of the patients cared for on this unit, there is a high volume of admission, discharge and transfer activity. Nurses on West 4 are extremely skilled in a wide-variety of competencies from neurological dysfunction, solid organ transplantation, dialysis , respiratory ailments, and are able to care for patients with surgical/trauma needs, chronic conditions and much more. Patient population on this unit may also include respiratory illness, sepsis, or be a bone marrow transplant or oncology patient requiring an intensive level of medical and nursing management. 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

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