Transition to Practice Programs: Adult to Pediatric Nursing

Here at Children’s Hospital Colorado, we know that children are not just small adults — they have different needs and require incredibly different care. If you are an experienced Registered Nurse (RN) who is passionate about working with children, you’ve come to the right place. Our Transition to Practice Programs for Adult to Pediatric Nursing offer specialized training and education to support you in transitioning from adult to pediatric nursing.

We are hiring experienced RNs from various specialties to join our intensive care units — no pediatric experience required. We will be here every step of the way to provide you with the robust training and clinical experience you need to ensure your career success at our top-rated pediatric hospitals.  

Our pediatric nurses are respected team members who work on the front lines to provide skilled and compassionate care for kids. Here, nurses enjoy ample growth opportunities through our Clinical Advancement Program, which recognizes nurses’ hard work, expertise and leadership in reimagining the future of child health. Learn more about why our nurses love working at Children’s Colorado. 

Program benefits include:

• No cost to participate
• Paid coursework
• Skills-based education
• Unit-specific clinical orientation
• Consistent pay and benefits throughout duration of program

Eligibility requirements:

• Experience: Minimum of one year in adult healthcare settings
• Education: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN); applicants with an Associate Degree in Nursing who agree to obtain a BSN within 3 years from their start date may be considered
• Licensure and registration: Registered Nurse (RN) license; BLS/CPR from the American Heart Association with at least 6 months left before expiration is required upon hire

Adult to Peds RN Transition to Practice Program for the PICU and CICU

Our Adult to Peds RN Transition to Practice Program supports experienced nurses who are seeking to grow their clinical practice by transitioning into pediatric care at Children's Hospital Colorado. The PICU and CICU are currently hiring. 

How to apply

All BSN- or ADN-prepared nurses with at least one year of adult nursing experience are eligible to apply for the Adult to Peds RN Transition to Practice Program. This is a six-month program that provides didactic and skill-based learning opportunities and includes up to 17 weeks of individualized clinical orientation depending on prior experience. The program takes place at our Magnet-designated hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. Applications are accepted at any time.  

We are currently hiring for these upcoming cohorts: 

• PICU Adult to Peds Transition to Practice: January, April and July 2024 
• CICU Adult to Peds Transition to Practice: April and July 2024 

Apply for our Adult to Peds RN Transition to Practice Program

About the PICU at Children’s Colorado 

The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Children's Colorado on the Anschutz Medical Campus is the largest in the Rocky Mountain region, with 48 beds and a multidisciplinary care team of more than 150 clinicians, nurses and specialized staff. We are one of the busiest PICUs in the country and have great outcomes compared to PICUs of similar size, including shorter lengths of stay and lower rates of hospital-acquired conditions like CLABSIs and CAUTIs. We provide comprehensive and patient-centered care to children from birth to young adulthood with major medical or surgical conditions necessitating critical care therapy or close monitoring. 

About the CICU

The Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) at Children’s Colorado provides care for children with congenital heart disease, pulmonary hypertension and acquired heart disease, serving patients from neonate through adulthood (for adults with congenital heart disease). We are a 22-bed ICU with a diverse, multidisciplinary team committed to the care of patients in our Heart Institute. Our cardiac surgeries range from less complex procedures or surgical repairs to high-risk, complicated surgeries. We are proud to have survival rates well above the national average for the most complex heart surgery cases. Our short length of stays and low readmission rates mean we are experts at healing our patients and getting them safely home. 

New to NICU RN Transition to Practice Program

The New to NICU RN Transition to Practice Program supports experienced nurses seeking to grow their clinical practice by transitioning into neonatal pediatric care in the NICU. This program offers a tailored orientation, including fundamental didactic and specialty courses, simulation-based education, clinical time on the unit and phased progress monitoring focused on specialty competency.

All BSN- or ADN-prepared nurses with at least one year of nursing experience are eligible to apply for the New to NICU RN Transition to Practice Program. The program takes place at our hospitals on the Anschutz Medical Campus and in Colorado Springs and lasts 8-10 weeks with an individualized orientation plan based on prior experience. 

How to apply 

The New to NICU RN Transition to Practice Program for our hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus is cohort-based.

We are currently hiring for these upcoming cohorts:

• December 2023
• January 2024
• March 2024

The program in our Colorado Springs hospital offers rolling admission. Applications are accepted at any time. 

Apply for our New to NICU RN Transition to Practice Program 

About the NICU at Children's Hospital Colorado

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Children's Colorado is a nationally recognized leader in the treatment of critically ill infants within the first year of life. With 82 critical care beds in our hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, and 50 critical care beds in our hospital in Colorado Springs, we have multiple locations to serve critically ill patients from Colorado and across the country. 

At Children’s Colorado, we care for any condition that affects newborns, regardless of how rare or critical. We also have one of the highest NICU patient volumes in the nation, providing us a deeper level of experience and expertise for a vast array of rare and complex conditions. Despite this increased volume and complexity, our outcomes remain above the national average. 

Learn more about our Transition to Practice Programs

For more information about these programs, contact Laura Froseth laura.froseth@childrenscolorado.org.