Registered Nurse, MSNU

Req ID: 200+80
Department/Program: MSNU, Children's Surgical Critical Care
Location: Halifax
Type of Employment: Temporary Hourly FT long-assignment (100% FTE) until 2026 x 1 position(s)
Start Date:
Union Status: NSNU Nursing, Nursing Bargaining Unit
Compensation: $40.5534 - $51.7412 /hour
Closing Date: April 13, 2025 (Applications are accepted until 23:5+ 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
The Medical/Surgical Neurosciences Unit (MSNU) provides caring for children with cardiac disease and multiple surgical populations, including Urology, Cardiac Care, Orthopaedics, Dentistry, Cleft Palate, General Surgery, Plastics, ENT, Neurology, Neurosurgery and Ophthalmology in a program-based care model for children of all ages up to 16 years of age. Reporting to the Manager of the Medical Surgical Neurosciences Unit, the Registered Nurse (RN) is a member of an interdisciplinary care team, providing holistic, comprehensive evidenced based care to meet the needs of individuals, families and/or communities. The RN provides leadership in nursing assessment, and the planning, implementation and evaluation of patient/family care for the purpose of promoting, maintaining or restoring health, preventing illness, injury, and disability or supporting a peaceful death. The RN provides care in collaboration with the patient and family, other nurses and health team members throughout all stages of health and complexities of illness. The RN builds professional relationships with other nurses and health team members to support the work of a strong interprofessional team and provision of quality patient/family care. The RN 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. The RN helps to build our reputation for excellence in the Maritime community and beyond. He/she contributes to a sustainable health care system through formal and informal partnerships. The RN pursues excellence in care, teaching and research through a spirit of inquiry, discovery and innovation, leveraging our reputation and influence to advocate for health. The RN practices according to the Canadian Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses, the College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia Standards of Nursing Practice, specialty standards as applicable and the policies and procedures of the IWK.

Hours of Work

11.25 hours shifts; as per rotating schedule (0700h - 1+00h 1+00h-0700h)

Your Qualifications
Graduate of an accredited School of Nursing Program
Licensed or eligible for licensure by the College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia
Minimum two (2) year pediatric nursing experience preferred.
Recent orthopaedic experience preferred.
Recent pediatric cardiac nursing skills preferred.
Recent neurosciences nursing skills preferred.
Current successful completion of CPR Level C Health Care Provider within the last 12 months required.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate with families and other health care team members required.
Demonstrated sound judgement and independent decision making skills required.
Demonstrated knowledge of Family Centre Care required.
Demonstrated strong communication and interpersonal skills with patients, families and colleagues
Competencies in other languages an asset, French preferred.
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. Read more