Registered Nurse, CIS

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.