Nurses are an integral part of PHSA's team of health care professionals who work collaboratively to deliver health services through our inpatient, ambulatory care and outreach programs to patients from across B.C. We offer a multitude of options for those who are interested in a career in nursing. There are a variety of innovative job opportunities in clinical practice, education, research, professional leadership and operational management.
As a nurse with BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre, you will join the only facility in B.C. devoted to caring for women, newborns and their families. A career at BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre offers a creative and challenging environment that draws on both traditional clinical methodologies, as well as the latest technologies and innovative health care and management techniques.
BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre is the largest maternity facility in Canada, with an average of 7,500 births per year. The hospital and health centre is also the quaternary centre for neonatal care in B.C., serving the sickest and tiniest babies in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Internationally trained nurses are encouraged to contact us and learn more about qualifications for nursing positions at BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre. Learn more about opportunities for international nurses
PHSA welcomes "New Grad" nurses – RNs and RPNs! As one of B.C's health authorities, our unique patient population requires specialized focus in our various practice areas. Nurses at PHSA provide specialty care in a variety of clinical environments, program and service areas across the province. We invite you to review the programs listed below for our New Grad opportunities, which vary greatly in types of care, patients, environments, specialties and location.
All new graduates hired as a registered nurse (RN) or registered psychiatric nurse (RPN) will be placed into a regular or temporary position, with a minimum 0.7 (70% of full-time hours) to full-time employee hours for the first six months of employment.
The program is available for the first 18 months after nursing graduation and provides new graduates the unique opportunity to consolidate their nursing practice and start their career specializing in either pediatrics, child and youth mental health, perinatal, oncology or adult mental health nursing.
New grads also benefit from in-depth orientation and training, mentorship by experienced team members, and a warm welcome!
New Grads are welcomed into the following units at BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre:
- Families in Recovery (FIR) Unit
- Postpartum Unit
- Birthing Unit
- NICU
Our Employed Student Nurse (ESN) program provides a nursing employment opportunity to work in a clinical setting from 250 to 400 hours of hands-on experience with pay. These hours will help you consolidate your theory and clinical skills, build on your nursing practice, and participate as a team member. In many cases, you can also apply your earned seniority toward your first RN/RPN job with us. Learn more about our ESN program
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Acute Perinatal Unit both hire new nursing team members three times a year to join the relevant Specialty Training Cohort: Advanced Pediatric Critical Care or Advanced Perinatal Care. These employer-paid, 24-month programs offered through BCIT (a post-secondary education institute) will further enhance specialized nursing skills and support professional growth in the chosen specialized career pathway. In addition, relocation assistance or work visa support may be available for successful candidates.
The Antepartum Unit within BC Women’s Hospital, the largest obstetrical hospital in B.C., provides care to women who have need of specialized care for themselves and/or their unborn babies. Pregnant women with complications such as high blood pressure and premature labour are admitted into the 15-bed, high-risk Antepartum Care Unit. Nurses provide the necessary care during the antepartum phase, resulting in a healthy outcome for mom and baby. Approximately 2,000 women per year are admitted to the Antepartum Unit, with the length of stay varying from hours to months.
The Postpartum Units within BC Women’s Hospital provide comprehensive supportive care to approximately 7,000 mothers and newborns per year in a woman and family-centred environment. As part of a commitment to being baby friendly, healthy newborns are cared for in the same room as their mothers. On the Postpartum Units, nurses place an emphasis on education around newborn care, normal postpartum changes in the mother, and breastfeeding. Our team provides information to the mother’s local community health department to ensure a continuum of care as the family transitions home.
The team at Leslie, Lauri & Jill Diamond BC Women's Surgical Services provides elective surgery for a variety of gynecologic health issues such as fibroids, infertility, abnormal bleeding, ovarian cysts, pelvic pain and many other conditions. Operating Room (OR) Nurses work with surgeons to carry out minimally invasive surgical techniques and complete complex surgeries. The surgical procedures offered in our gynecology surgical suites include diagnostic hysteroscopy, operative hysteroscopy, endometrial ablation, laparoscopy, laparoscopic hysterectomy, laparoscopic myomectomy, dilation and curettage, and LEEP excision.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at BC Women's Hospital is the quaternary referral center for the province, providing specialized neonatal intensive care for the most critically ill and high-risk infants with complex medical and surgical needs in B.C. and Yukon. Our leading practice in Mother Baby Care (MBC) provides the care of mothers and newborns requiring Level 2 NICU care in the same room from the same nurse. In addition to NICU, BCW is home to the Neonatal Follow-Up Clinic (NFU), which provides comprehensive neurodevelopmental assessments for high-risk newborns in the first five years of life.
The Neonatal Program works in partnership with the other NICUs across the province to ensure a coordinated network of neonatal care for high-risk newborns. Transport nurses and respiratory therapists provide infant transport to and from other NICUs in the province, and the resuscitation team of nurses, respiratory therapists, and physicians attend high-risk deliveries and urgent care scenarios.
Nursing and Respiratory Therapy practice at BC Women's Hospital offers many opportunities for professional development in leadership, education and supporting and advancing best practice. The Neonatal Program is committed to supporting regular and ongoing learning through dedicated education days, interdisciplinary education including simulation, and variety of workshops or conference opportunities.
The Families in Recovery (FIR) program is the only program in Canada of its kind, offering programming and treatment rooted in harm reduction in the context of recovery and the bio-psycho-social-spiritual framework. The program’s mandate is to address the needs of antepartum and postpartum women who use substances, along with their infants, in order to improve women’s wellness and to ensure a safe labour and delivery. FIR has an interdisciplinary nursing team that upholds providing care from principle-based practice approaches including Indigenous Cultural Safety and trauma- and violence-informed practices, harm reduction, recovery-oriented practice, and equity-oriented care.
Medical Imaging provides a complete range of primary and tertiary diagnostic imaging and image-guided diagnostic and therapeutic services to women from across the province. Our team has experience with the radiological management of unusual, complex or therapeutically demanding problems in women. These services include general radiography (X-Ray), Computed Tomography (CT scan), ultrasound, nuclear medicine scans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), vascular and interventional procedures and cardiac imaging. These procedures help patients in all areas of the hospital and clinics.
