Kaiser Permanente New Grad RN Residency 2027: Dates & How to Apply

Last updated: October 2026

Kaiser Permanente's new grad RN residency is a paid nurse residency for newly licensed RNs that hires you as an employee and trains you on your unit. In Southern California, external applications for the first 2027 cohort run December 7 to 9, 2026, for a March 29, 2027 start. Northern California hasn't posted its 2027 dates yet, so as of mid-October 2026 neither region is open.

Quick Facts

The key detail most applicants miss: the windows last only a few days. Southern California's external window for the March 2027 cohort runs just December 7 to 9, 2026, so build your KP career profile and gather your documents before it opens.

Your clinical rotations show your bedside skills. To add something different, a remote Externship like the Institute of Mental Health Healthcare Operations & Consulting Externship gives you a finished healthcare operations project to discuss in a residency interview before the December window.

What Is the Kaiser Permanente New Grad RN Residency?

Kaiser Permanente runs a national RN residency that hires newly licensed nurses as paid employees and trains them into their first unit. Residents learn through clinical immersion with an RN preceptor, simulations, AI-assisted clinical judgment and knowledge assessments, reflective learning, didactic training and professional development sessions, and mentorship from an experienced nurse. In California, the two regions run separately. Northern California places residents in inpatient Med-Surg and Telemetry at 21 medical centers, and its 2025 info session described the first 11 weeks as full-time orientation at 32 hours a week with preceptors, plus a paid 8-hour training session every week. Southern California runs at 16 medical centers, with tracks in Med-Surg, DOU, ICU, L&D and OR. One thing to check: Kaiser's national residency page describes a 12-month program, while an older Southern California regional page describes a six-month phased program with a 10-week preceptorship and mentorship through week 26. The pages don't agree, so ask about length at your region's info session.

Who Can Apply to the Kaiser New Grad RN Residency?

Requirements differ by region. Both California regions require:

• Education: a graduate of an accredited RN program

• License: an active California RN license by the start date. Interim permits aren't accepted

• Certification: current AHA BLS

• Southern California: less than six months of paid RN work experience (required), a degree within the past 12 months (preferred), and minimum supervised clinical hours: 917 for CNA-represented locations, 768 for UNAC locations

• Northern California (preferred): a nursing degree earned within the 12 months before the start date, no prior inpatient RN experience, a BSN, ACLS, an EKG course over 4 hours, KP clinical or internship experience, letters of recommendation, and not being in another residency

• Work authorization: Northern California's 2025 info session said applicants must not require sponsorship for a work visa

This is for licensed new grads, not students. If you're still in nursing school, Kaiser's Northern California Nursing Student Work Study Summer Internship is the student track. Kaiser also runs residencies in Hawaii, Washington, the Northwest, Colorado, Georgia and the Mid-Atlantic, each with its own dates.

When Does the Kaiser New Grad RN Residency Open for 2027?

Southern California's 2027 dates are published, not projected. Cohort 1 takes external applications December 7 to 9, 2026 (internal applicants start December 3) and closes at 8:59 PM PT on December 9, with info sessions on November 10, 19 and 23, 2026. Northern California is different. Its page says 2027 cohort dates are coming soon, and its job board showed no open residency postings on October 16, 2026. Its last known windows were November 3 to 7, 2024 for a March 2025 start and, per an aggregator, July 5 to 7, 2026 for a November 2026 start. Northern California started three cohorts in 2025 (March, July and November), so expect 2027 windows, but they're undated.

How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and the employer's own postings. Treat future dates as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The program's official page is always the most current source. If it's posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.

How Do You Apply to the Kaiser New Grad RN Residency?

Both regions hire through kaiserpermanentejobs.org, but the steps differ:

1. Create a KP career profile at kaiserpermanentejobs.org before your window opens.

2. Southern California: apply during the short regional window, which is December 7 to 9, 2026 for external applicants to the March 2027 cohort. Attend a Handshake info session first.

3. Northern California: Kaiser posts a single Staff Nurse I Nurse Residency Program listing for all hospitals for each cohort (search #RNRSD). After you apply, you complete a Candidate Snapshot survey of about 30 minutes on your licenses, letters, experience, location preference and KP exposure.

4. Northern California: the next step is a virtual group interview with KP nurse leaders, with clinical competency and behavioral questions. In the 2025 cycle, hiring decisions came about two months after applying.

5. Have your license, BLS card, transcript and references ready before the window opens. Windows close at 8:59 PM PT.

Because each window lasts only days, set a calendar reminder for every cohort you'd accept, in both regions if you're open to either.

What Happens After the Kaiser New Grad RN Residency?

You're hired from day one. Northern California residents are hired as Staff Nurse I employees into their unit, and Kaiser says Northern California anticipates hiring approximately 300 residents annually. Kaiser doesn't publish any guarantee about your role after the residency ends, so ask about post-residency placement in your interview. For Kaiser's student internships and other early-career roles, see our Kaiser Permanente internship guide.

How Do You Build a Strong Kaiser New Grad RN Application?

Your license, BLS and clinical hours get you in the door. In a group interview, what sets you apart is how you talk about patient care, teamwork and the way a hospital works. These three things help.

None of these replace your clinical hours. Schedule your license exam early: Southern California's March 2027 cohort needs an active California license by March 5, 2027.

What Similar Programs Should You Consider?

If you're applying to Kaiser's new grad RN residency, these are worth a look too:

If you're set on California, apply to more than one system. Kaiser's windows last only days, and missing one means waiting months for the next cohort. For the wider field, see our healthcare internships guide.

FAQ

When do Kaiser new grad RN residency applications open for 2027?

In Southern California, external applications for 2027 Cohort 1 open December 7 and close December 9, 2026 at 8:59 PM PT, for a March 29, 2027 start. Northern California hasn't posted 2027 dates yet; its page says they're coming soon. Recent Northern California windows lasted only 3 to 5 days.

Is the Kaiser nurse residency paid?

Yes. Residents are paid Kaiser employees, hired as Staff Nurse I in Northern California. Kaiser doesn't publish the rate on its residency pages. An aggregator reported $85.47 an hour on the Northern California November 2026 cohort posting, but that posting has been removed and we couldn't verify it. Southern California doesn't publish a rate.

How long is the Kaiser new grad RN residency?

It depends which page you read. Kaiser's national residency page describes a 12-month paid residency, while an older Southern California page describes a six-month phased program with a 10-week preceptorship and mentorship through week 26. Ask at your region's info session or interview to confirm the length for your cohort.

Do you need a California RN license to apply?

You need an active California RN license by the start date, and interim permits aren't accepted in either region. For Southern California's March 29, 2027 cohort, the license deadline is March 5, 2027. You also need current AHA BLS and a degree from an accredited RN program.

Can experienced nurses apply to the Kaiser residency?

Generally no. Southern California requires less than six months of paid RN work experience. Northern California prefers a degree earned within 12 months of the start date and no prior inpatient RN experience, and it prefers applicants who aren't in another residency. Experienced nurses should apply to regular RN openings instead.

Does Kaiser sponsor work visas for new grad nurses?

Northern California's 2025 info session said applicants must not require sponsorship for a work visa. We didn't find a Southern California statement on sponsorship, so if you'll need a visa, check with the region directly before you apply rather than assuming either way.

Does the Kaiser residency lead to a permanent job?

You're hired as an employee from the start. Northern California hires residents as Staff Nurse I into their unit and anticipates hiring about 300 residents a year. Kaiser doesn't publish a guarantee about placement after the residency, so ask about it in your interview.

Kaiser's windows open and close within days, so the prep happens now. Set up your KP profile, line up your references, and if you want a healthcare project to talk about in interviews, a remote Externship gives you one before December.