Pediatric Care
PICU
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Critically ill children from infancy through adolescence. Specialized dosing, equipment, and family-centered care.
Credential Required
RN, BSN
Typical Weekly Pay
$2,400–$3,400
Assignment Length
13 Weeks
Top Settings
Children's Hospital
The Role
What you'll do on assignment.
As a travel PICU nurse, you manage critically ill children from infancy through adolescence — including respiratory failure, sepsis, DKA, traumatic injuries, and post-surgical patients. Your specialized pediatric assessment skills, weight-based medication calculations, and family-centered communication are essential to caring for this vulnerable population.
Travel PICU assignments typically place you in children's hospitals or pediatric units within large hospital systems. You may manage pediatric ventilators, titrate vasoactive drips using weight-based dosing, and provide developmentally appropriate care and family support throughout your contract.
Because Cuready understands healthcare professionals, your recruiter knows the difference between a freestanding children's hospital PICU and a pediatric unit within an adult hospital. They match you to assignments that align with your pediatric critical care experience and patient population comfort level.
Why Cuready
Your specialty, our expertise.
Pediatric Care-Focused Recruiters
Your recruiter has placed travel PICU nurses before. They understand the unique demands of pediatric critical care, know the difference between Level I and community PICUs, and advocate for assignments that match your clinical strengths and comfort level.
Transparent Pay, Every Time
We break down your full package from day one — base pay, housing stipend, travel reimbursement, and take-home total. No surprises mid-assignment. Your recruiter negotiates for what your pediatric experience and certifications actually command.
One Contact, Every Assignment
No call centers. No handoffs. You have one dedicated recruiter from first conversation through your final paycheck — available to handle licensing questions, housing issues, or anything that comes up mid-assignment.
Requirements
Ready to travel? Here's what you need.
Required
- Active RN license — compact or state-specific
- BLS & PALS certifications — current AHA or equivalent
- 2+ years PICU experience — within the last 2 years
Preferred
- BSN degree — preferred by most facilities
- CCRN (Pediatric) certification — Pediatric Critical Care Registered Nurse
Training & Education
Your path to the field.
From nursing school to pediatric critical care — what the professional journey looks like for PICU nursing.
Your recruiter knows this pathway.
Because Cuready is built by healthcare professionals, we understand what each credential means and how to match your training to the right assignments.
PICU nurses hold an ADN or BSN from an accredited nursing program. Most travel positions require a BSN. Programs include pediatric-specific coursework in growth and development, pediatric pharmacology, and family-centered care alongside clinical rotations in pediatric settings.
The base credential is an active RN license (state or compact). The CCRN (Pediatric) from AACN demonstrates specialized pediatric critical care competency. PALS is universally required for PICU assignments, and NRP may be requested at some facilities.