Registered Nurse

Registered Nurse (RN), Families in Recovery Program

BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre

Vancouver, BC

You are a Registered Nurse who practices with compassion and care, in a non-judgmental manner. You're seeking a meaningful role that provides challenge, variety, and the opportunity to make an impact on others' lives - in this case, expectant mothers and their infants. As a team player, you appreciate your interdisciplinary team members and enjoy collaborating on complex care issues, using trauma- and violence-informed practice, harm reduction, and Indigenous Cultural safety.

The Families in Recovery (FIR) Program is a provincial specialized mental health and substance use perinatal service that provides primary care to antenatal and postpartum women who use substances and to infants exposed to substances in an interdisciplinary approach. This acute care service has 12 beds for women who want to stabilize their substance use and address any pregnancy related concerns and/or withdraw from substance use during pregnancy.

What you'll do:

• Provides direct health care services to clients presenting with a wide variety and complexity of illnesses/diseases including communicable diseases, addictions, mental health and general health issues. Performs physical, addiction and psychiatric assessments, collects specimens, refers clients to the physician for further examination, administers prescribed treatments and medications according to protocols and makes appropriate adjustments.
• Observes, monitors, evaluates and documents client progress, symptoms, and behavioral changes and performs a variety of health care interventions utilizing nursing skills and medical equipment including therapeutic interventions using a variety of modalities. Initiates and facilitates discharge planning; identifies referrals to other health professionals.
• Using the nursing process and BCCNP standards of nursing practice provides care services such as maternal, fetal/newborn/infant assessment and administration of ordered drugs and therapy. Cerates a therapeutic environment by providing teaching and counseling.
• Conducts initial and ongoing comprehensive nursing assessments of assigned patients, including ante partum and postpartum women and newborns.

o Closely monitors and documents physical/emotional condition of the mother/fetus throughout all stages of detoxification and stabilization.

o Monitors infants for signs of withdrawal and/or other deviations from the expected norm.

• Provides care and support to:

o Chemically dependent women.

o Mother/infant dyads during the early postpartum period, caring for the infant at the bedside (whenever possible), aiding the mother in watching for signs and symptoms of withdrawal.

o Substance exposed babies in the nursery.

o Babies requiring additional observation for reasons of medical instability.

o Babies awaiting placement.

What you bring:

• Graduation from an approved School of Nursing with current practicing registration as an Registered Nurse/ Psychiatric Nurse (RPN) with the British Columbia College of Nurses & Midwives (BCCNM)
• Two (2) years' recent experience providing acute or community health nursing care/services to clients who have concurrent psychiatric and/or substance abuse/misuse disorders including one (1) year perinatal and nursery nursing experience or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Current CPR Certification
• Newborn Resuscitation Program (NRP) provider
• Breastfeeding update, minimum 6 hours, in the last two years.
• Fetal Health Assessment Certificate

What key skills and abilities you demonstrate:

• Community health nursing theory including mental health and substance use, communicable diseases and practice within a client/family -centered approach.
• British Columbia College of Nurses & Midwives (BCCNM) Standards for Nursing Practice.
• The BC Mental Health Act, other facilities and community resources.
• Facilitation, mediation, and conflict resolution techniques.
• Adjust to new or unexpected events
• Awareness of and commitment to learning and understanding the Truth & Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight Report (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), and other related reports.
• Commitment to upholding the shared responsibility of creating lasting and meaningful reconciliation in Canada as per TRC and BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act
• Knowledge of social, economic, political and historical realities impacting indigenous communities and familiarity with Indigenous Cultural Safety and anti-racism and accompanying reports (BC DRIPA, TRC, etc.).

What we bring

Every PHSA employee enables the best possible patient care for our patients and their families. Whether you are providing direct care, conducting research, or making it possible for others to do their work, you impact the lives of British Columbians today and in the future. That's why we're focused on your care too - offering health, wellness, development programs to support you - at work and at home.

• Join one of BC's largest employers with province-wide programs, services and operations - offering vast opportunities for growth and development, and recognition programs that honour the commitment and contribution of all employees.
• Access to professional development opportunities through our in-house training programs, including +2,000 courses, such as our San'yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training course, or Core Linx for Leadership roles.
• Enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including municipal pension plan, and psychological health & safety programs and holistic wellness resources.
• Annual statutory holidays (13) with generous vacation entitlement and accruement.
• PHSA is a remote work friendly employer, welcoming flexible work options to support our people (eligibility may vary, depending on position).
• Access to WorkPerks, a premium discount program offering a wide range of local and national discounts on electronics, entertainment, dining, travel, wellness, apparel, and more

Job Type: Temporary, Full-Time (until August 30, 2024)

Wage: $41.42 to $59.52/hour

Location: 4500 Oak St, Vancouver BC V6H 3N1

Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled

Hours of Work: Self Scheduling; /

Reference Number: 164177E

As per the current Public Health Order, full vaccination against COVID-19 is a condition of employment with PHSA as of October 26, 2021.

What we do

BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre (BCW) is dedicated to improving the health of women, newborns and families through a comprehensive range of services, research and education.

BCW is part of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).

The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) plans, manages and evaluates specialized health services with the BC health authorities to provide equitable and cost-effective health care for people throughout the province. Our values reflect our commitment to excellence and include: Respect people - Be compassionate - Dare to innovate - Cultivate partnerships - Serve with purpose.

Learn more about PHSA and our programs:

PHSA and BCW are committed to employment equity, encouraging all qualified individuals to apply. We recognize that our ability to provide the best care for our diverse patient populations relies on a rich diversity of skills, knowledge, background and experience, and value a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment.

Reconciliation is an ongoing process and a shared responsibility for all of us. The BC Governments' unanimous passage of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act was a significant step forward in this journey—one that all health authorities are expected to support as we work in cooperation with Indigenous Peoples to establish a clear and sustainable path to lasting reconciliation. True reconciliation will take time and ongoing commitment to work with Indigenous Peoples as they move toward self-determination. Guiding these efforts Crown agencies must remain focused on creating opportunities that implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Mandate.

ATTN: PHSA Employees:

To be considered as a PHSA employee (internal applicant) for this position, you must apply online via your internal profile at

Please note the internal job posting will no longer be accessible after the expiry date of April 26, 2024. If the internal job posting has expired, please contact the Internal Jobs Help Desk and advise that you would like to be considered as a late internal applicant for this position. Please do not apply for the external job posting.

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