Registered Nurse, EMHAS

Click here to apply as an internal applicant.

Company : IWK Health

Req ID: 228753

Department/Program: Emergency MH and Addiction Service, Mental Health And Addictions

Location: Halifax

Type of Employment: Temporary Hourly FT short-assignment (100% FTE) for 4 months x 1 position(s)

Start Date: November 2026

Union Status: NSNU Nursing, Nursing Bargaining Unit

Compensation: $40.5534 - $51.7412 /hour

Closing Date: November 3, 2026 (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 Nova Scotia. 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 values, and enjoy access to enhanced benefits 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

Reporting to the Clinical Manager of the Emergency Mental Health & Addictions Service (EMHAS), the staff nurse is responsible and accountable for conducting emergency mental health assessments including but not limited to assessment of mental status indicators, multiple risk factors, symptom history, and presenting problems. This role requires independent skills at assessment and formulation of complex presenting problems and the ability to work collaboratively as a member of an interdisciplinary team within the EMHAS as well as the IWK Emergency Department. The mental health nurse will work closely with psychiatry and social work within the EMHAS. They may also work with the nurses on the Garron Centre on the night shift from 0000-0700 hours when there are no EMHAS patients in the ED. The role on the Inpatient Unit during these hours is to assist the nurses with assigned duties but should a patient present to the ED the EMHAS nurse would return to conduct the necessary assessment(s). The nurse will also support triage nurses in the emergency room in the identification and appropriate streaming of patients presenting with mental health emergencies, and will be responsible for referrals to appropriate services for patients who are discharged. The nurse collaborates with the patient, the family and team members to identify priorities for intervention and develop a plan for problem resolution. Key to success in this position is the nurse’s application of specialized knowledge gained through education and experience in mental health/psychiatric populations in order to work to full scope of practice as a Mental Health Nurse. The nurse is also expected to participate in team activities as required i.e., team meetings, program planning, quality improvement initiatives etc.

Hours of Work

8-hour or 12-hour shifts (Days, Evenings, Nights, Weekends).

Your Qualifications

• Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing required (candidates with commensurate experience and education will be considered).
• Licensed or eligible for licensure by the provincial regulator is required
• Current successful completion of a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Basic Life Support Level (BLS) Program within the last 12 months, or successful completion of a BLS Renewal Challenge Certificate, required.
• Minimum two (2) years previous psychiatric nursing experience required; Three (3) years preferred.
• Experience working with children and adolescents preferred; Acute Care or Crisis Work/Stabilization experience preferred.
• CNA Certification in Mental Health Nursing and/or RNPDC Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing Program an asset
• Demonstrated knowledge of the Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act.
• Non-violent Crisis Intervention certification preferred.
• Demonstrated organizational, time management and coordination skills.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize multiple competing workload demands and to manage stressful situations effectively.
• Demonstrated excellent critical thinking, communication (verbal & written) and interpersonal skills required.
• Ability to work collaboratively on an interdisciplinary mental health/health team providing emergency based care.
• Demonstrated knowledge of child/youth development, cultural competence, trauma informed care.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and commitment to Family Centred Care required.
• Excellent problem-solving and conflict resolution skills with an ability to work with clients to resolve or stabilize crisis.
• Demonstrated awareness of IWK Health Centre and community resources.
• An understanding of the Choice and Partnership approach (CAPA) will be considered an asset.
• Demonstrated capacity for coping with challenging clinical situations.
• Demonstrated commitment to professional development and skills.
• Competency in other languages considered 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 internal careers page to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.