Come work as a Employed Student Psychiatric Nurse with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)!

Vancouver Coastal Health is looking for an Employed Student Psychiatric Nurse to join the team at Vancouver Coastal Health. Apply today to join our team!

Our Employed Student Nurse (ESPN) program provides a nursing employment opportunity to work in a clinical setting of up to 400 hours of hands-on experience with pay. As an ESPN you provide direct nursing care to both stable and unstable patients/residents/clients appropriate to the level of education and training you have received to date in your nursing program. ESPN educators and unit staff support your transition from student to new graduate nurse. Our program is unique and the ESPN opportunities are different depending on the geographical location from small towns to major cities.

Our diverse sites include:

• Richmond Hospital (Richmond)
• Lions Gate Hospital (North Vancouver)
• Vancouver General Hospital (Vancouver)
• Squamish (Sea to Sky)
• UBC Hospital (on the grounds of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver)
• qathet General Hospital (Powell River)
• Sechelt Hospital (Sechelt)
• Bella Coola Hospital (Bella Coola) and ƛ̓uxválásu̓ilas Heiltsuk Hospital (Bella Bella)
• Community programs in various locations

Education & Experience

To be considered you must:

• Have successfully completed of 2nd Year of your RPN program or equivalent*, prior to your start as an ESPN
• Have successfully completed at least one Adult Psych rotation in your RPN program, prior to your start as an ESPN
• Be continually enrolled in a recognized nursing education program in BC, and in good standing
• Be registered (or eligible for registration) with BCCNM as an Employed Student Registrant (must be obtained before you start as an ESPN)
• Certification in Basic Cardiac Life Support (Healthcare Provider CPR).

Please note:

• To be considered for this ESPN intake your nursing program final preceptorship date must be September 2025 or later (we cannot accept ESPN students who will be in their final preceptorship concurrent to an ESPN placement)
• Nursing students should not hold ESPN positions with more than one health authority, concurrently

* Equivalency to be determined with nursing education program in which student is registered.

Knowledge & Abilities

• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ability to organize assigned workload and set priorities.
• Ability to think critically and problem solve.
• Ability to deal effectively with a variety of internal and external contacts including co-workers, physicians, community agency representatives. patients/residents/clients, and families.
• Physical ability to perform the duties of the position.

What do I need to do in order to apply?

1. Write a cover letter, providing a brief introduction of yourself and express why you are interested in an ESPN position at Vancouver Coastal Health, and your short-term and long-term nursing goals. Please note: you must include a cover letter for your application to be considered.
2. Update your resume to include your clinical placements, work experience and volunteer experience. Please note your clinical placements must be listed on your resume. See below for examples of the preferred resume format
3. Click the “Apply now” button
4. Create an online profile or use an existing profile if you have previously applied to VCH
5. Complete the application questionnaire.

PLEASE NOTE: Applications submitted that do not include all items listed above will NOT be considered. 

Preferred Resume Format

Please provide details about your Clinical Placements and Work Experience in the same format as shown below:

Clinical Placements 

Work Experience

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER?

1. Talent Acquisition will review all applications.
2. Based on application, cover letter, supporting documents including Basic Life Support (HCP) Certificate/CPR, and meeting the program requirements, candidates will be shortlisted.
3. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted and offered an interview with a centralized hiring manager.
4. If successful after interview you will be matched to a unit.
5. If the match is mutually agreed upon, you will be offered employment as an ESN with VCH.
6. Start the BCCNM employed student registration process.

If you are in a BSc Nursing program, please apply for the Employed Student Nurse (ESN) Program

For more info, check out our Employed Student Nurse program website here!

Thank you for your interest in Vancouver Coastal Health. Please note, only qualified applicants with complete applications will be contacted.

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):

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 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.