Registered Nurse/Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RN & RPN), Mental Health Emergency Department - BC Children’s Hospital

Registered Nurse/Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RN & RPN), Mental Health Emergency Department

BC Children’s Hospital

Vancouver, BC

The Registered Nurse/Registered Psychiatric Nurse performs physical and mental health assessments and provides appropriate nursing care, prescribed treatments, and medications in consultation with physicians and consultants. Observes, monitors, evaluates and documents client progress, symptoms and behavioural changes and performs a variety of health care interventions. Plans and coordinates patient assessment, care planning, patient and family teaching, and health promotion initiatives. Acts as an educational resource for the Emergency Department staff within the defined area of clinical expertise according to established policies, procedures, standards of practice, and philosophy at Children’s & Women’s Health Centre of BC.

What you’ll do

• Provide direct health care services to children and youth presenting with a wide variety and complexity of mental health presentations. Perform physical, psychosocial and mental health assessments, collaborate with physicians and allied health as required, administer prescribed treatments and medications according to policy.
• Observe, monitor, evaluate and documents patient progress, symptoms and behavioral changes. Perform a variety of health care interventions, utilizing nursing skills and medical equipment including therapeutic interventions using a variety of modalities. 
• Assess the patient’s needs in collaboration with the emergency team during the intake procedure to determine patient disposition. Develop care and treatment plans with final dispositions authorized by the emergency department physician and/or consulting psychiatrist. Provide general and crisis counseling to patients and their families including brief crisis intervention, referrals to community resources, or emergency department social workers. Initiate and facilitate discharge planning and referrals.
• Support the process of admission and transfer to inpatient units by supporting the needs of the patient and their family, providing information to the receiving unit and facilitating transition by sharing emergency treatment outcomes and care plans to the inpatient unit.
• Work with team members to develop educational resources that may be used with patients/families for health teaching. 

What you bring

• Current practicing registration as a Registered Nurse or Registered Psychiatric Nurse with the British Columbia College of Nurses & Midwives (BCCNM).
• One (1) year recent related experience working with children, adolescents and families in a child/adolescent mental health or inpatient setting, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Current CPR and CPI training

• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the historic and ongoing impacts of settler colonialism and systemic racism on Indigenous Peoples within social and health contexts. This includes understanding how these factors contribute to current health disparities and barriers to care. Show a clear commitment to identifying, challenging, and eradicating Indigenous-specific racism and all forms of discrimination impacting equity-deserving groups within healthcare settings. This involves recognizing personal biases, institutional barriers, engaging in anti-racism education and training and advocating for systemic change.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of legislative obligations and provincial commitments within BCCH contexts found in the foundational documents including Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study, BC Human Rights Code, Anti-racism Data Act and how they intersect across the health care system.

Core Competencies

• Brings an understanding of the Indigenous specific racism and the broader systemic racism that exists in the colonial health care structure, and has demonstrated leadership in breaking down barriers and ensuring an environment of belonging. Embed Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility into all aspects of work. This means creating an environment where Indigenous patients feel respected, valued, and understood. Foster trust through respectful communication, active listening, and honoring equity-deserving people's perspectives on health and wellness. Commit to ongoing education and training on Indigenous health issues, cultural safety, and DEI principles. Participate in workshops, cultural immersion experiences, and continuous professional development to stay informed and responsive to equity-deserving groups. Provide patient-centred care that respects Indigenous ways of knowing and healing, respects BIPOC experiences and world views ensuring that care plans are culturally relevant and holistic.
• Knowledge of social, economic, political and historical realities of settler colonialism on Indigenous Peoples and familiarity with addressing Indigenous-specific anti-racism, anti-racism and Indigenous Cultural Safety and foundational documents and legislative commitments (The Declaration Act, the Declaration Action Plan, TRC, IPS, Remembering Keegan, etc.).

You will also have the ability to:

• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of emergency triage procedures, mental health assessment, substance use, psychopharmacology in children, general counseling principles and interview techniques, crisis theory, trauma-informed care, abnormal psychology, de-escalation techniques and knowledge of community resources.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Make decisions in both an independent and consultative manner in a clinical setting.
• Relate effectively and establish rapport with psychotic and crisis-prone adolescents, children and their families.
• Participate as a member of a multidisciplinary care team, and function as a nursing resource team member.

• Demonstrates a commitment to beginning and continuing their personal learning journey related to Indigenous-specific racism and dismantling systems of oppression, as well as addressing racism more broadly. Shows willingness to articulate and share their learning experiences to contribute to a culture of motivation and inspiration among peers.
• Demonstrates foundational knowledge of the social, economic, and political realities of settler-colonialism and its impacts on Indigenous peoples and equity-deserving groups within social and health contexts. Understands the impact of social determinants of health-on-health outcomes. Shows a commitment to learning about and upholding legislative obligations and provincial commitments outlined in foundational documents such as the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan, Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study, the BC Human Rights Code, Anti-Racism Data Act, and the Distinctions Based Approach.

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, 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: Regular, Full-Time
Wage: $41.42 - $59.52 per hour

Location: 4500 Oak Street, Vancouver, V6H 2N9
Applications will be accepted until position is filled.

Hours of Work: As per master rotation 1; 07-19 and 13-01

Requisition # 181575E

What we do

BC Children’s Hospital (BCCH) provides care for the most seriously ill or injured children and youth from across British Columbia.

BCCH 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: jobs.phsa.ca/programs-and-services

PHSA and BCCH 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.

One of PHSA’s North Star priorities is to eradicate Indigenous-specific racism, which includes ongoing commitments to Indigenous recruitment and employee experience as well as dismantling barriers to health care employment at every level. We welcome Indigenous individuals to apply and/or contact the Sanya’k̓ula Team (Indigenous Recruitment & Employee Experience) for support at indigenous.employment@phsa.ca.

Indigenous-specific anti-racism initiatives are rooted in addressing the unique forms of discrimination, historical and ongoing injustices, and exclusion faced by Indigenous peoples. These initiatives align with an Indigenous rights-based approach, recognizing the inherent rights and title of BC First Nations and self-determination of all First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. PHSA is mandated to uphold legislative obligations and provincial commitments found in the foundational documents including the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study. 

Attention current employees of PHSA: 

You must apply via your internal profile at http://internaljobs.phsa.ca.

The internal job posting expires on March 30, 2025 and will no longer be accessible. If the internal job posting has expired, please e-mail internaljobshelpu@phsa.ca with the six-digit job requisition number and your PHSA employee ID number to be considered as a late internal applicant. Please do not apply for the external job posting.

If you have not yet set up an internal profile, please e-mail internaljobshelpu@phsa.ca with your PHSA employee ID number to obtain your temporary password. Our business hours are Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm, excluding Statutory Holidays and a Help Desk Representative will respond to you with 1-2 business days.  

If you are not a current employee of PHSA and require assistance with your application, please contact the External Careers team at careers@phsa.ca.