Nurse Residency Fall 2026: Critical Care Pathway

Critical Care Pathway Nurse Residency Track

Calling all Senior Nursing Students, Nurse Graduates, and new RNs, it is time to apply for our Critical Care Pathway Nurse Residency Track starting Fall 2026!

Job Description

• The ChristianaCare Nurse Residency Program is accredited with distinction as a Practice Transition Program by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation in Practice Transition Programs.
• Research validates that new to practice nurses completing a structured and accredited residency program leads to an increase in competency, reduction of error, reduced self-reported stress, and increased job satisfaction.
• We are committed to supporting all registered nurses with under one year of experience through a nurse residency specialty track.
• This exciting curriculum integrates lecture and simulation education, peer support, and preceptor-led clinical experiences structured to foster critical thinking, evidence-based practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, effective communication, quality and safety, and professional development.
• The critical care pathway nurse resident will first complete 5-6 weeks of intensive preceptor-led training on a stepdown unit, with mentorship from the critical care nurse residency coordinator, to improve and demonstrate clinical excellence in time management, prioritization, and critical thinking.
• Following stepdown training, residents will then complete up to 18 weeks of clinical training in their ICU of hire. Candidates new to the organization or internal and seeking employment in a different unit will complete a secondary interview with the ICU management teams to determine the unit of hire during their last week of stepdown training. Shadow experiences within the hiring critical care units at our Newark, Wilmington, and/or Cecil campuses will be provided for these candidates prior to the date of interview.

Participating units may include:

• Surgical ICU (Shock/Trauma)
• Neuro ICU
• Medical ICU
• Cardiovascular ICU
• Wilmington campus ICU (Medical/Surgical combination)

The critical care pathway nurse resident completes up to 26 total weeks of preceptor-led training followed by continued residency seminars up through their first year of practice to further develop as professional nurses and integral members of our caregiver team.

Nurse residents are required to pass State Boards and be licensed as an RN in the State of Delaware (or compact state) prior to starting the position. Upon hire, a commitment agreement to work at ChristianaCare will be signed. The agreement requires completion of two years within ChristianaCare and 15 months of those two years on the unit of hire. Individuals unable to fill this commitment will be charged $10,000.

Requirements

• Graduating from an accredited nursing school before October 2026 (BSN preferred)
• BLS required
• Less than 12 months of nursing experience by the start of the program
• Eligible for Delaware license as a Graduate Nurse/Registered Nurse
• Working, clinical, or shadow experience in Critical Care is preferred

Benefits

• This is a flat rate position; any individual hired into this position will be paid $38.61/hr plus any applicable differentials.
• This pay rate/range represents ChristianaCare's good faith and reasonable estimate of compensation at the time of posting. The actual salary within this range offered to a successful candidate will depend on individual factors including skills, relevant experience, and qualifications as they relate to specific job requirements.

Christiana Care Health System is an equal opportunity employer, firmly committed to prohibiting discrimination, whose staff is reflective of its community, and considers qualified applicants for open positions without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, disability, pregnancy, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.