Description
Provide specialized critical care nursing for infants, children, and adolescents in the pediatric intensive care unit, delivering developmentally appropriate, family-centered care for high-acuity medical and surgical conditions.
- • Identify pediatric patients' developmental and age-specific needs and modify plans of care accordingly.
- • Provide post-mortem care with sensitivity to family and cultural needs.
- • Evaluate pediatric vital signs, weights, and labs to determine emergent intervention needs.
- • Perform approved pediatric therapeutic and diagnostic procedures based on clinical status.
- • Administer blood and blood products with weight-based dosing; monitor for transfusion reactions.
- • Administer weight-based medications via IV, injection, oral, enteral, or other routes; verify dosing.
- • Advocate for children and families, providing emotional support and family-centered care.
- • Set up and monitor pediatric equipment, including cardiac monitors, ventilators, oxygen delivery, arterial and central lines, and pressure transducers.
- • Track strict intake and output, daily weights, and urine output to detect fluid or electrolyte imbalances.
- • Monitor for clinical deterioration, sepsis, respiratory failure, or shock and initiate appropriate interventions.
- • Assess and manage pediatric pain, agitation, and sedation using age-appropriate scales.
- • Assess psychosocial and developmental needs, sleep, anxiety, coping, and support systems.
- • Collaborate with intensivists, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and the care team to develop and update plans of care.
- • Collect pediatric specimens for laboratory and diagnostic testing.
- • Compile and interpret monitoring and diagnostic data to guide care.
- • Perform pediatric respiratory assessments to identify abnormal patterns or breath sounds.
- • Document pediatric histories, assessments, and clinical findings.
- • Document treatment plans, interventions, responses, and plan revisions.
- • Identify risks related to nutrition, growth, and feeding; coordinate enteral or parenteral support.
- • Prioritize care for multiple critically ill children based on acuity and evolving needs.
- • Assist with pediatric procedures such as intubation, bronchoscopy, chest tube placement, central line insertion, or cardioversion.
- • Ensure pediatric equipment is cleaned, calibrated, and stored properly after use.
- • Identify and address malfunctioning equipment; escalate and remove from service.
- • Assess family readiness, coping, and health literacy to determine needed interventions.
- • Coordinate family-centered care conferences and interdisciplinary rounds.
- • Engage in pediatric critical care continuing education and professional activities.
- • Contribute to development and evaluation of PICU nursing protocols and pathways.
- • Plan and provide education for staff, patients, and families on PICU care, equipment, and safety.
- • Precept and mentor PICU nurses and support staff; provide shift leadership as assigned.
- • Apply pediatric early warning tools and clinical bundles to prevent deterioration and hospital-acquired conditions.
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O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Last reviewed: Jan 2026
