RN Cardiac ICU Nurse Fellowship | October, 2025 | **For RNs with 1+ years of experience, any setting.**

The Cardiac Critical Care Nurse Fellowship Program provides the experienced RN (with at least one full year of RN practice in any setting) an opportunity to transition into the role of a Pediatric CICU nurse under the guidance and support of our clinical nursing staff, nurse educators and program facilitators.

The critical care track includes curricula designed to augment the learning experience for the nurse fellow through professional development and continuing achievement of program goals. The CICU team offers structured, in-depth orientation, supportive hands-on training, and comprehensive skills education over the course of three to four months for the RNs in this cohort.

The Cardiac Intensive Care Unit is a 26-bed unit. This unit provides comprehensive cardiac care to pediatric patients and their families. The CICU Patient Care Management Team coordinates interdisciplinary patient assessment and patient care and provided by cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, and pediatric intensivists and nursing in conjunction with multiple specialty services within the Medical Center. Patients are admitted to the CICU from the ED, Cardiac Clinic, the Operating Room, and transfers from in-house units as well as transports from other institutions via the Pediatric Transport team.

The CICU also provides extracorporeal life support (ECMO) and rapid deployment ECMO. Twenty to twenty-five percent of the intensive care patients are cardiovascular surgery or cardiac patients. Children requiring repair of congenital heart defects from the simple to the complex, including heart transplants receive care in the CICU.

The Cardiac Intensive Care Unit provides subspecialty care for critically ill patients with congenital, acquired cardiovascular or related diseases. The 26-bed unit integrates the latest technology in a family friendly environment. The multidisciplinary team is dedicated to improving outcomes for children through innovation and research.

The CICU staff includes an integrated cardiac team with all sub-specialists readily available and accessible. The unit-based staff includes a dedicated pharmacist, respiratory therapist, social worker, nurses, as well as physicians from the divisions of anesthesiology, critical care medicine, cardiology and cardiac surgery. Children's CICU is home to an Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) center of excellence for ECMO services in children. The CICU also has VAD (Ventricular Assist Device) and heart transplant programs.

Minimum Education
ADN Required, BSN Preferred

Minimum Work Experience
1 year of RN experience (Required)

Required Skills/Knowledge
The licensed Registered Nurse will successfully complete the hospital and nursing orientation at Children's National.
Keep knowledge base current with new information or changes in specialty area.

Required Licenses and Certifications
Registered Nurse in District of Columbia (or license eligible) (Required)

BLS for Provders (Required)

PALS (Preferred)