Job Description

Company : IWK Health
Req ID: 192021
Department/Program: Children's Intensive Services-Overnight, Mental Health And Addictions
Location: Halifax
Type of Employment: Permanent Hourly FT (100% FTE) x 1 position(s)
Start Date: February 2025
Union Status: NSNU Nursing, Nursing Bargaining Unit
Compensation: $40.5534 - $51.7412 /hour
Closing Date: February 03, 2025 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)
IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across . People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other's talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our , and enjoy access to enhanced and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.
Promoting an anti-racist environment, and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care, is important to us. We are located in Mi'kma'ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi'kmaq people. Working in Mi'kma'ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.
The Opportunity
Children's Intensive Service is a rehabilitative mental health inpatient setting for children under the age of 13 whose needs cannot be managed on an outpatient basis. The length of stay for the children is approximately four months. Reporting to the Manager of CIS, the Registered Nurse (RN) is responsible and accountable for the application of current theory and research in children's health and mental health care. The RN is a member of an interdisciplinary care team, providing holistic, comprehensive care to meet the needs of children under 13 years of age who present with serious emotional and behavioural problems. The RN provides care in collaboration with the patient and family, other nurses and health team members. The RN independently provides safe, competent, compassionate ethical nursing care, and ensures the goals and needs of the patients and families are prioritized and individualized. Using nursing knowledge, critical thinking and clinical judgment, the RN engages in independent, interdependent and dependent functions to provide healthcare focusing on comprehensive assessment, patient/family education, and coordination of care. These functions may be self-determined, or assigned by physician or other RN's. Utilizing the Collaborative Problem-Solving (CPS) Model, CIS adopts an approach to intervention, which is collaborative with the patient and his/her family and is focused upon developing adaptive living skills to cope with mental health problems. Care plans are developed with the goal of successful re-entry into familial or alternate care in the community. Responsibilities will include (but are not limited to) administration and monitoring of the child's response to medication, preparation of the child and family for weekend or overnight passes, ongoing comprehensive assessment of the child and his/her response (physical and emotional/psychological) to treatment, suing knowledge, clinical judgment and collaborating with team members (when and if necessary) to determine the alterations in the plan of care, and providing clinical direction and oversight to child care staff on the clinical aspects of the care plan. The RN will take leadership role in ensuring the development and implementation of day-to-day care plans for children, in collaboration of other members of the interdisciplinary team. The RN may at times be reassigned within the Mental Health and Addictions Program and will remain flexible and willing to cross-train with other units, consistent with the philosophy, objectives, mission and vision statement of the IWK Health Centre. Shift flexibility is required to meet the operational needs of the children and families being serviced within this care team.
Hours of Work
Shift Work.
Your Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Nursing required (candidates with commensurate experience and education will be considered).
• Registered or eligible to be registered, with the Nova Scotia College of Nursing (NSCN).
• Current successful completion of a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Basic Life Support (BLS) Program within the last 12 months or successful completion of a BLS Renewal Challenge Certificate required.
• Knowledge of mental health disorders required and one year of previous psychiatric nursing experience required.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Collaborative Problem Solving, with Tier 1 Certification preferred.
• Non-Violent Crisis Intervention certification required and experience in de-escalation techniques preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and commitment to Family Centred Care required which includes a willingness to train in the model of Collaborative Problem Solving to address childhood emotional and behavioural problems.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize patient care needs, manage time appropriately, communicate effectively with individuals and groups (verbal and written), and demonstrated organizational and strong interpersonal skills required.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively both independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team required.
• Demonstrated commitment to professional development and practice required.
• Competencies in other languages an asset.

Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.
Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing) you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.
This is a Nursing bargaining unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units or employment status, are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position.
An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.
If you are an employee of IWK Health, please apply through the to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.