What is a PICU Nurse? Everything You Need to Know
What is a Pediatric ICU (PICU) Nurse?
A Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) nurse is a Registered Nurse (RN) with advanced training and skills who takes care of the sickest pediatric patients in the hospital. Specifically, PICU nurses specialize in treating and caring for toddlers, children, and adolescents.
What Does a PICU Nurse Do?
PICU nurses are similar to other RNs in that they care for patients while they are hospitalized. However, PICU nurses are tasked with a much more difficult task of caring for critically ill and even dying pediatric patients.
Specific responsibilities of a PICU nurse include, but are not limited to these:
- Administering medication and treatments
- Assessing critically ill pediatric patients
- Creating nursing care plans for patients
- Helping perform diagnostic tests ordered by medical providers
- Monitoring vital signs
- Using advanced medical equipment
- Coordinating with other healthcare professionals
- Observing behaviors and recording observations
- Recording symptoms and medical histories
- Taking blood and urine samples
- Keeping electronic medical records up to date
- Participating in daily patient rounds
- Responding to emergencies and code situations
- Managing PICU advanced equipment such as dialysis, ventilators, and ECMO machines
- Performing CPR and life-saving procedures
How to Become a PICU Nurse
To become a PICU nurse, you must first graduate from an accredited nursing program. As PICU positions are highly competitive, it is important to secure nursing externships while in your undergraduate program and take additional classes in IV placement, and blood draws. Next, you’ll apply for PICU positions, which will generally be nurse residency programs as a new graduate.
Step One: Graduate from an Accredited BSN Nursing Program
Those who aspire to become a PICU nurse will want to graduate from either a BSN or ADN program from an accredited university.
Step Two: Become an RN
Successfully pass your NCLEX and then apply for state licensure.
Step Three: Gain Experience
It is possible to start your career immediately upon graduation in a PICU. However, you might need to gain two or three years of pediatric medical-surgical experience. With the increase in the number of pediatric residency programs, new graduates can seamlessly transition into the PICU.
Step Four: Get Certified
Becoming certified illustrates your advanced knowledge and clinical skills as a PICU nurse. There are several certification options available. There are currently three organizations that offer peds nursing certification:
- Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PCNB)
- American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
- National Certification Corporation (NCC)
Each certificate has its own exam, renewal requirements, and eligibility criteria.
Step Five: Continue Your Education
While not required to become a PICU nurse, after gaining valuable experience, you may want to consider advancing your education and earning your Pediatric NP degree focusing on critical care.
Where Do Pediatric ICU Nurses Work?
Unlike other RN positions and specialties that can work in a variety of locations, PICU nurses are very specialized. Therefore, they are limited in their work environments. PICU nurses work in hospitals that have pediatric ICU units.
PICU Nurse Salary
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports an average annual salary of $81,220 per year or $39.05 per hour. The BLS does not differentiate between different nursing specialties.
Payscale reports an average annual salary for PICU nurses as $72,262 or $34.55 an hour.
PICU Nurse Salary by Years of Experience
Specifically, PICU nurses can earn a higher annual salary with increased years of experience.
- Less than 1 year of experience earns an average hourly rate of $26.67
- 1-4 years of experience earn an average hourly rate of $31.77
- 5-9 years of experience earn an average hourly rate of $34.25
- 10-19 years of experience earn an average hourly rate of $38.88
- 20 years and higher years of experience earn an average hourly rate of $50
Pros and Cons of Becoming a PICU Nurse
With any nursing position, there are pros and cons. PICU nursing is high-stress and high-intensity. There is rarely any downtime, especially in large PICUs, so this is important to consider when determining if this is the best specialty for you.
Pros of Becoming a PICU Nurse
- Develop a unique skill set of advanced nursing skills
- Work with children
- Job security
- High paying position
- Increased clinical abilities and knowledge
- Marketability
- Increased job satisfaction
Cons of Becoming a PICU Nurse
- Emotional toll of caring for critically ill toddlers, children, and adolescents and their families
- Exposure to death and dying
- High-stress environment
- Bedside burnout
- Physically demanding work
- Emotional attachment to patients and their families
- Workplace exposure to communicable disease
- Ongoing education responsibilities
