Nurse Practitioner, Mental Health and Substance Use

Come work as a Nurse Practitioner with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)!

NURSE PRACTITIONER – MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE (MHSU) RESIDENCY AT STRATHCONA MHSU TEAM

We are offering an exciting new opportunity at Vancouver Coastal Health for two Nurse Practitioner positions in Vancouver Community Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) Services. The position will be with the community MHSU team- Strathcona. The focus of this position is to provide care to patients assigned to the MHSU team, with a specific emphasis on mental health and substance use. This opportunity includes participation in an innovative new model for an integrated mental health and substance use residency. The role involves rotating through community and acute sites, providing a focus on mental health, substance use, addiction medicine services to individuals affected by social and health inequities.

This position offers a blend of coursework, clinical experiences, work on the MHSU team, and opportunities for quality improvement. In this role, you will be an integral part of a collaborative team, working with partners across the health system. The residency will last for 6 months, with the primary site being the Strathcona Mental Health team, and requires a 24-month return-of-service commitment (inclusive of residency).

VCH is pleased to announce we will now reimburse Nurse Practitioners (NPs) for the cost of the Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE), upon successful completion, for NP candidates who have not yet completed the exam, and who are hired into a regular or temporary position with VCH. The OSCE reimbursement is in the form of a forgivable loan, which is forgiven after one (1) year of continuous employment in a regular or temporary position with VCH.

As a Nurse Practitioner with VCH you will:

• Be responsible and accountable for the comprehensive assessment of patients and clients including diagnosing diseases, disorders and conditions.
• Initiate treatment including health care management, therapeutic interventions and prescribes medications in accordance with the statutory and regulatory standards, limits and conditions, and employer policies and procedures.
• Provide professional guidance to other health professionals and participates autonomously as a member of the interdisciplinary health teams.
• Collaborate with clients and other health professionals to identify and assess trends and patterns that have implications for clients, families and communities.
• Develop and implement population and evidence-based strategies to improve health and participate in policy-making and quality improvement activities that influence health services and practices.
• Participate in peer, program and self-review to evaluate the outcome of the services at the client, community and population level.
• Be responsible for own professional development and maintaining competence in the position, and maintaining privileges as active medical staff as required.
• Report to an Operational Director, Professional Practice and has key accountabilities for quality assurance and patient safety within the Regional Department of Nurse Practitioners.

Current registration as a Nurse Practitioner with the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) plus 4 years of recent, and relevant clinical nursing experience. Successful completion of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) required.

Education & Experience

• Current registration as a Nurse Practitioner with the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM).
• Four (4) years of recent, and relevant clinical nursing experience.
• Successful completion of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) required.

Knowledge & Abilities

• Ability to perform the full scope of NP duties and responsibilities.
• Applies for and maintains core and non-core privileges, as required by the program, as active medical staff within the VCH Regional Department of Nurse Practitioners and cross-appointments as described in the VCH Medical Staff Rules and Medical Bylaws.
• Ability to apply knowledge of developmental stages, behavioral sciences, pathophysiology, psychopathology, epidemiology, and evidence-based practice to clinical diagnosis and patient management.
• Ability to apply knowledge of pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to prescribing and evaluating treatment responses.
• Ability to communicate and collaborate with patients and families about health findings, diagnosis, treatment, self care and prognosis.
• Ability to collaborate, consult with and formally refer clients and patients to physicians and other health professionals when appropriate.
• Ability to critically assess and evaluate health research literature to determine best practices; ability to introduce education and evidence-based research.
• Ability to assess and recognize population health trends; ability to plan and implement strategies for population based prevention and health promotion.
• Ability to implement and evaluate planned change.
• Ability to define the specific areas of practice and client population for whom the position is competent to provide health care services.
• Ability to apply lead leadership skills within a program and team setting.
• Physical ability to perform the duties of the position.

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

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 racialized 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 Canada's Top 100 Employers in 2024.

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.