Assistant Head Nurse

Alberta Health Services; Calgary; On-site; CAD 63,000 - 87,000; Full time

Job summary

Alberta Health Services is seeking an Assistant Head Nurse for the Strathmore District Health Services Acute Care Unit. The clinician leads ED, mentors staff, and collaborates with the multidisciplinary team to optimize patient care, transitions and discharge plans.

You will guide staff, implement quality and safety initiatives, and liaise with the Manager and partners to maintain smooth unit operations. A strong emphasis on communication and ethical decision-making underpins the role.

Qualifications

• Completion of an accredited nursing education program.
• Active or eligible for registration and practice permit with the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA).
• Current Basic Cardiac Life Support - Health Care Provider (BCLS-HCP).
• Current provider certification in ALCS.
• Code response experience.
• Rural Acute Care experience and/or urban experience + leadership role.
• Experience in leadership role ideally in an organization of significant size, complexity and diversity.
• Demonstrated experience with identifying and implementing quality improvement, a commitment to patient/family centered care and high-quality services to optimize safety, experience, health and well-being of patients and employees.
• Strong leadership skills including demonstrated ability and comfort with decision‑making responsibilities, coaching, teaching, mentoring and the ability to motivate, inspire and build confidence in others.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and lead change.
• Ability to foster partnerships to achieve organizational goals within internal and external partners.
• Experience in conflict management/resolution.
• Situation and/or facilitative leadership experience/ course completion
• Rural Nursing Experience.
• Able to work independently and collaboratively.
• Demonstrated strength in working collaboratively with diverse cultural populations and marginalized populations with socio‑economic diversities.
• Master's Level education.
• Current certifications: NVCI, wound care, palliative care, dementia, and Supportive Pathways.

Responsibilities

• As Assistant Head Nurse, you will be responsible for staff assignments, patient flow and acting as a role model and clinical resource for nursing staff.
• You will promote quality patient care and implement operational priorities while providing frontline nursing care as required.
• You will lead solutions for complex health care issues with interprofessional teams, administrators and policy makers.
• You will support a culture of safety and partner with stakeholders to achieve organizational goals.

Skills

Leadership

Conflict management

Quality improvement

Coaching & mentoring

Collaboration

Decision making

Change management

Communication

Staff development

Education

Nursing education program

Master's degree in nursing

Job description

Your Opportunity

The Assistant Head Nurse (AHN) is the clinical lead/charge nurse and resource for the Strathmore District Health Services Acute Care Unit. Reporting to the Manager, the AHN provides effective clinical leadership to the ED and acts as a resource for the multidisciplinary team, patients, families and internal and external partners to optimize the patients’ health and wellbeing and facilitate their care, transition and discharge plan. The AHN ensures smooth functioning of the team by guiding and directing the nursing staff, working collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team including internal and external stakeholders, acting in accordance with required organizational practices and legislation within the limitations of the collective agreements. The AHN liaises with the Manager daily to identify areas where quality improvement will enhance outcomes and represents the Manager in their absence within the limitations of the collective agreement. AHN responsibilities include facilitating unit related staff and patient-family meetings including working groups, zonal and RAAPID patient transfer collaboration, mentoring staff and providing feedback about practice standards and supporting the CNE in disseminating education and information to unit staff. The AHN will motivate, inspire and foster cooperative partnerships to achieve organizational goals. The AHN is expected to ensure the multidisciplinary team promotes consistent and quality care and have a strong commitment to quality and process improvement that ensures a culture of safety for staff and patients. The ability to lead through effective communication, ethical decision-making and experience with conflict management and resolution is essential

Description

As an Assistant Head Nurse, you will be responsible for staff assignments, patient flow and acting as a role model, clinical resource and advocate for nursing staff. In addition to providing frontline nursing care, as required, you will take a leadership role in the promotion of quality patient care and the implementation of operational priorities. Your in-depth knowledge and skills, advanced judgment and clinical experience, will assist in providing solutions for complex health care issues at all levels with patients, interprofessional teams, administrators and policy makers. You will play a key role in providing safe, quality patient and family centered care while reflecting the shared vision and values.

Classification

Classification: Assistant Head Nurse Union: United Nurses of Alberta Unit and Program: Acute Care Primary Location: Strathmore Location Details: As Per Location Multi-Site: At (UNA only) FTE: 0.50 Posting End Date: 09-NOV-2026 Temporary Employee Class: Temp P/T Benefits Date Available: 19-NOV-2026 Temporary End Date: 31-MAR-2028 Hours per Shift: 7.75 Length of Shift in weeks: 12 Shifts per cycle: 30 Shift Pattern: Days Days Off: As Per Rotation Minimum Salary: $46.05 Maximum Salary: $63.02 Vehicle Requirement: Not Applicable

Required Qualifications

• Completion of an accredited nursing education program.
• Active or eligible for registration and practice permit with the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA).
• Current Basic Cardiac Life Support - Health Care Provider (BCLS-HCP).

Additional Required Qualifications

• Current provider certification in ALCS.
• Code response experience.
• Demonstrated clear pattern of professional and personal development Rural Acute Care experience and/or urban experience + leadership role.
• Experience in leadership role ideally in an organization of significant size, complexity and diversity.
• Demonstrated experience with identifying and implementing quality improvement, a commitment to patient/family centered care and high-quality services to optimize safety, experience, health and well-being of patients and employees.
• Strong leadership skills including demonstrated ability and comfort with decision‑making responsibilities, coaching, teaching, mentoring and the ability to motivate, inspire and build confidence in others.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and lead change.
• Ability to foster partnerships to achieve organizational goals within internal and external partners.
• Experience in conflict management/resolution.
• Situation and/or facilitative leadership experience/ course completion

Preferred Qualifications

• Rural Nursing Experience.
• Able to work independently and collaboratively.
• Demonstrated strength in working collaboratively with diverse cultural populations and marginalized populations with socio‑economic diversities.
• Master's Level education.
• Advanced Nursing Leadership education.
• Current certifications: NVCI, wound care, palliative care, dementia, and Supportive Pathways.