Mental Health and Substance Use Triage Nurse; RN​/RPN), Adult Mental Health BC

minimum Nurse to Patient Ratios (mNPRs)

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is proud to be part of the provincial implementation of minimum Nurse to Patient Ratios (mNPRs), an initiative aimed at enhancing nursing practice and strengthening quality of care across the health system. mNPRs set the minimum number of nurses providing care to patients on a given unit. In British Columbia, mNPRs are developed in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the BC Nurses’ Union (BCNU) and health organizations.

Guided by our values:
We Care for Everyone, We Are Always Learning and We Strive for Better Results, we remain committed to fostering quality practice and learning environments where nurses can grow and thrive.

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

- CAD $55.91/Hr.

Come work as a Mental Health and Substance Use Triage Nurse with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)! Vancouver Coastal Health is looking for a Mental Health and Substance Use Triage Nurse (RN/RPN) to join the Adult Mental Health team at qathet General Hospital in Powell River, BC. Apply today to join our team!

About the Adult Mental Health team in Powell River:

Community-based assessment and treatment for adults who are diagnosed with a serious and persistent major mental disorder and experiencing significant problems that interfere with their functioning in daily life.

As a Mental Health Substance Use Triage Nurse you will:

• Provide initial client screening related to referral priority and appropriateness of referrals, urgency of needs, and confirmation of the appropriate required service.
• Act as a liaison with other internal and external teams to assess client care needs.
• Coordinate the site‑specific client allocations/assignments based on priority, ensure workload is distributed evenly, and client care needs are met.
• Follow established standardized client allocation/assignment processes and utilize established escalation procedures to ensure timely and appropriate client allocation/assignment to not delay care provision.
• Prioritize daily workload to accommodate urgent client needs and referrals.
• As required, provide holistic, evidence-informed nursing care to clients with complex mental health and substance use needs through comprehensive assessment, risk identification and mitigation strategies, and collaborative care planning.
• Coordinate and monitor treatment and response in partnership with clients, families, and community supports, offering psychoeducation, harm reduction, and medication management.
• Deliver a range of therapeutic interventions including crisis response, counselling, and motivational interviewing, while maintaining professional documentation and regulatory standards.
• Advocate for client rights, liaise with emergency and community agencies, and actively participate in case conferences to address emerging issues.
• Uphold professional standards through ongoing learning, mentorship, and engagement in quality improvement to enhance team capacity and client care.

Education & Experience

• Current practicing registration as a Registered Nurse or Registered Psychiatric Nurse with the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM).
• Two (2) years’ recent experience providing nursing care for individuals with mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders, including recent experience in care and transition planning, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Valid BC Driver’s License required as local area travel may require the use of a vehicle or other accepted mode of transportation.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Demonstrated knowledge of mental health and substance use theory and practice including therapeutic communication, crisis intervention and management, psychopharmacology and pharmacology, interdisciplinary care coordination and case management, individual and group counseling, key VCH and non-VCH community resources, and the nursing process.
• Demonstrated ability to triage multiple client’s needs, prioritize urgent situations and elevate level of care as appropriate.
• Demonstrated knowledge of frameworks guiding nursing practice including client and…