About The Role

Join us At the Forefront, at UChicago Medicine , as a Registered Nurse in the Pediatric Sedation Unit .

The Pediatric Sedation Registered Nurse , in collaboration with and under the direction of a credentialed sedation physician, provides safe, evidence-based minimal, moderate, and deep procedural sedation and analgesia for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults undergoing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures throughout the medical center. Guided by patient- and family-centered care principles and professional nursing standards. The pediatric sedation registered professional nurse independently assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates all phases of sedation care, including pre-sedation assessment, sedation administration, physiologic monitoring, recovery management, discharge readiness evaluation, and emergency intervention.

The Pediatric Sedation Registered Nurse provides specialized care for medically complex, critically ill, and high-acuity pediatric patients across multiple medical and surgical subspecialties, including Pediatric Intensive Care, Neonatal Intensive Care, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Pediatric Surgery, Cardiac Surgery, Trauma Surgery, Otolaryngology, Orthopedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, and Burn Surgery.

Essential Job Functions

Conduct comprehensive pre-sedation evaluations and develop individualized sedation plans accordingly.
Coordinate care with proceduralists, diagnostic services, and interdisciplinary teams to optimize workflow and minimize sedation duration.
Administer sedative, analgesic, and adjunct medications within established protocols and credentialed scope of practice.
Continuously monitor physiological status utilizing: Pulse oximetry, Capnography, Blood pressure monitoring,
Maintain continuous vigilance for sedation-related complications and initiate prompt interventions to ensure patient safety.
Recognize and manage sedation-related adverse events including: Airway obstruction, Apnea, Laryngospasm, Hemodynamic instability, Aspiration
Perform airway interventions including: Patient repositioning, Suctioning, Supplemental oxygen administration, Bag-mask ventilation
Perform advanced airway management procedures as permitted by institutional policy, credentialing, competency validation, and scope of practice.
Safely transport sedated, medically complex, and critically ill pediatric patients throughout the medical center.
Continuously monitor respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurologic status during transport.
Provide immediate airway, respiratory, and hemodynamic support during clinical deterioration.
Monitor patients throughout post-sedation recovery.
Evaluate discharge readiness using validated recovery tools including: Aldrete Score, Pediatric Post-Anesthetic Discharge Scoring System (PADSS)
Identify and manage post-sedation complications.
Educate patients and families regarding: Post-sedation expectations, Home care instructions
Participate in: Sedation quality improvement initiatives, Adverse event reviews
Support compliance with regulatory, accreditation, and institutional standards related to pediatric procedural sedation.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Current Illinois Registered Professional Nurse (RN) License
Basic Life Support (BLS)
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)

Preferred Qualifications

ACLS
Minimum of five (5) years of pediatric critical care, neonatal critical care, pediatric emergency medicine, or comparable high-acuity nursing experience
Experience caring for neonatal, pediatric, adolescent, and medically complex patients