Mental Health and Substance Use Nurse - Registered Nurse (RN) / Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN)

The salary range for this position is CAD $41.42/Hr. – CAD $55.91/Hr.

Come work as a Mental Health and Substance Use Nurse for Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)!

Vancouver Coastal Health is looking for a Registered Nurse OR Registered Psychiatric Nurse to join the Psychiatry 1 West team at UBC Hospital in Vancouver, BC. Apply today to join our team!

As a Mental Health and Substance Use Nurse, you will

• Provide individualized direct nursing care, discharge planning and case coordination services to a wide range of clients with severe and persistent mental illness, concurrent disorders and/or dementia and be responsible for the full range of clinical practice and the client‑centred rehabilitation program by working independently and as a member of a team.
• Enhance quality of life from the perspective of the client/family.
• Perform physical and psychosocial rehabilitation assessments.
• Consult, confer and collaborate with other health care givers and family members to develop, implement, evaluate and modify individualized strength‑based treatment plans.
• Establish, maintain and enhance therapeutic relationships based on respect.
• Administer prescribed medicines, monitor client response and provide/demonstrate ongoing information to the client/family on activities of daily living, use of medication and side‑effects and integration of illness to their lifestyle.
• Prepare and maintain client records according to established standards, participate in team meeting, engage in team planning and quality improvement activities and maintain and update own knowledge.

About UBC Hospital

Join our caring community at UBC Hospital, located on the beautiful University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver. Surrounded by lush forest on three sides and ocean on the fourth, UBCH is located in a growing community. It is within walking distance to many beaches and Pacific Spirit Park which offers a network of trails contained in more than 750 hectares of forest. With its ideal location on the west side of the city, the population on this vibrant campus is growing exponentially. As its own mini‑city within itself, UBC has its fair share of local restaurants and cafés, grocery stores, recreation sites, new real‑estate developments, three new schools (elementary and high school) being built and even its own Fire and RCMP departments. Many people and families call this unique location home.

Education & Experience

• Current practicing registration as a Registered Nurse or a Registered Psychiatric Nurse with the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM).
• Completion of a minimum 6‑week or 240‑hour clinical practicum/preceptorship in a mental health setting supplemented by completion of coursework in mental health or an equivalent combination of education, training or experience.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Demonstrated knowledge of concurrent disorders, substance use and abuse, harm reduction strategies including assessment and intervention.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the principles and practices of conceptual models of psychiatric care including person and family centred care, trauma‑informed care, recovery model in mental illness and psychosocial rehabilitation methodology.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the Mental Health Act as it applies to the rights and obligations of clients and staff.
• Demonstrated knowledge of community, social and mental health resources.
• Demonstrated knowledge of impact of social, cultural and family systems on health outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to provide nursing assessments and interventions such as facilitating group process, conflict resolution, crisis interventions, individual and group counselling.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and implement care plans and anticipate and respond to potential complications and care issues relevant to the designated client group.
• Demonstrated ability to participate in the development and delivery of educational programs and materials for clients and families based on education theories, principles and best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to identify emotional, social, or environmental barriers and intervene to eliminate stigma.
• Demonstrated ability to document client care on appropriate systems/forms in accordance with organisational and unit standards in a timely and accurate manner.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage conflict situations and aggressive behaviour and use non‑violent crisis intervention and behavioural management techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to model and mentor new staff and students.
• Demonstrated skill in performing autonomous scope of practice and standards of care relevant to designated client population.
• Demonstrated skill in clinical techniques and the use of applicable equipment and supplies.

The hours of work including days off and work area may be subject to change consistent with operational requirements and the provision of the Collective Agreement and applicable statutes.

As per Ministry of Health policy, all health care workers working in publicly‑funded health care facilities are required to report their past receipt of certain vaccines or history of certain infections. Collecting these records will allow for offering of any missing vaccines, and for appropriate actions to be taken in the event of any future exposure to a communicable disease or during outbreaks. For all new hires and appointments to Vancouver Coastal Health, you will be asked to provide this information as part of the onboarding process.

WHY JOIN VANCOUVER COASTAL HEALTH?

VCH is a world‑class innovator in medical care, research and teaching, delivering service to more than one million BC residents. At VCH, we embrace thinking boldly, taking smart risks, and "going first" when we believe it will lead to the best possible outcomes for patients and their families. We invite you to join us in creating healthy lives in healthy communities by showcasing our passion for care, connection to the communities we serve and our culture of teamwork that makes VCH a great place to work.

• Comprehensive health benefits package, including MSP, extended health and dental and municipal pension plan
• Grow your career with employer‑paid training and leadership development opportunities
• Wellness supports, including counselling, critical incident and innovative wellness services are available to employees and their immediate families
• Award‑winning recognition programs to honour staff, medical staff and volunteers
• Access to exclusive discount offers and deals for VCH staff

At Vancouver Coastal Health, our vision of healthy lives in healthy communities inspires us and our values and pillars guide us. We support equitable practices, diverse teams and inclusive environments, which are vital to creating welcoming spaces where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and feel supported. We encourage applications from equity‑deserving communities, including Indigenous Peoples and members of racialised groups, people with disabilities and people of all gender identities and expressions and sexual orientation.

Vancouver Coastal Health is proud to be recognized as one of BC’s Top Employers, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and Canada’s Top Employers for Young People in 2025.

Only short‑listed applicants will be contacted for this posting.
Employees of VCH must apply online via the Internal Career Portal on CareerHub, you are currently viewing the External Career Portal. Refer to the https://my.vch.ca/working-here/job-postings site for instructions on how to view internal job postings and how to apply as an employee. Current VCH employees who apply to this posting using this external site will be considered as an external candidate. Seniority will not apply.

Thank you for your interest in Vancouver Coastal Health.

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