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New Graduate RN Residency Program

At Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, the heart of Stanford Medicine Children's Health, we offer exceptional opportunities for current students and recent graduates to complete their residency. Our program greatly enhances your education through exposure to many of today’s top medical advancements and the individuals responsible for them. If you’re passionate about caring for babies, children and caregivers and want to begin your career learning from a world-class leader in pediatrics and obstetrics, then start with Stanford Medicine Children's Health.

We've partnered with Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the nursing profession, to develop a comprehensive new graduate RN residency program. This unique one-year Residency is different from the traditional new graduate program because it provides an evidence-based transition to prepare new graduate nurses for the highly complex and fast-paced acute care environment.

New graduates will also benefit from:

• A supportive network of senior nurses and debriefers to augment your education through professional, clinical experience expertise
• One-on-one guided clinical experience with a preceptor
• On-site classes and simulation-based education
• An easy-to-use web portal and supportive self-care/debriefing groups

Program Requirements - Fall 2026 Cohort:

• Must be a Graduate of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Master's - level practice program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN, former NLNAC) or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), with a degree conferral between June 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.
• Must hold current unencumbered Registered Nurse licensure, issued by the State of California, verified by August 11, 2026. Note: Interim permits are not accepted
• Must hold current Basic Life Support Certification, issued by the American Heart Association (AHA), verified by August 11, 2026.
• May not have any paid work experience as a Registered Nurse (RN), at program start.
• Must have a 3.5 or above cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.) on a 4.0 grading scale Note: G.P.A. rounded to the nearest tenth.
  • Cumulative grade point average must be 3.5 or above at time of application and maintained at time of degree conferral if selected.
  • Cumulative grade point average on nursing program transcript, as calculated by college/university, which may include nursing, pre-requisite, transfer, and general education coursework.
• Must be willing to commit to a one (1) year Residency Program.

Program Applicant Documentation - Fall 2026 Cohort:

• Current Resume.
• Nursing program transcripts. Note: Unofficial copies are accepted.
• Clinical Hours Table. Note: The linked table template must be populated and submitted as a standalone document.
• Two (2) signed letters of recommendation ("wet", electronic, or digital signature). Note: A maximum of two (2) letters are accepted.
  • One (1) signed letter of recommendation can be written by a clinical leader/colleague, or nursing clinical instructor/faculty, who can speak about one’s performance and potential for success as a nurse.
  • One (1) signed letter of recommendation must be written by a Clinical Nurse Preceptor, who can speak about one's performance in the clinical setting and potential for success as a nurse.
    • Note: A clinical nurse preceptor is an employee of the hospital/clinical site, who provides mentorship and guidance to a single nursing student during their assigned clinical rotation. The recommendation does not need to be from one's final practicum/senior preceptorship, it can be written by a clinical nurse preceptor from any rotation completed in a clinical setting.

** All supporting documents must be submitted by the close date, to regard one's application as complete for consideration.**
** Additional and/or amended documentation cannot be accepted after application close.**

• Short Essay Preparation (250-word/1400-character limit): Reflect on a difficult or challenging situation you encountered in a clinical setting involving a patient or their family member. Describe the situation, the actions you took, and the outcome. Highlight how you embodied LPCH's Professional Practice Model through your response and share what you learned from the experience.
  LPCH's Professional Practice Model for nursing is to care with open minds, hearts, and hands.

Participating Units – Fall 2026: To be announced.

Program Requirements and Review Timelines:

Fall 2026 Cohort

Program Overview and Supporting Documentation:

Recorded Informational Webinar - Fall 2025 Cohort; Passcode: ^S99P=D4

Professional Practice Model

Clinical Hours Table

Fast Facts

Life in Palo Alto

Life in the Bay Area

Please direct questions to: NewGradCareers@stanfordchildrens.org