Assistant Head Nurse - Emergency

Alberta Health Services; St. Albert; On-site; CAD 63,000 - 87,000; Part time

Job summary

Alberta Health Services in Alberta is seeking an Assistant Head Nurse to provide clinical and operational leadership in the Sturgeon Community Hospital Emergency Department. You will coordinate admissions, transfers and discharges, support bed utilization, and lead interdisciplinary rounds to improve patient flow and access to care.

You will mentor nursing staff, promote evidence-based practice, participate in quality improvement, and collaborate with physicians, allied health, and operational

Qualifications

• Completion of an accredited nursing education program.
• Active or eligible for registration and practice permit with CRNA.
• Current Basic Cardiac Life Support - Health Care Provider (BCLS-HCP).
• Five years of recent Charge Nurse experience in Emergency Department and/or acute care Medicine unit.
• Experience coordinating patient flow, admissions, transfers, and bed utilization within an acute care and/or emergency department environment.
• Mentoring and coaching frontline staff in clinical practice, patient flow, and operational processes.

Responsibilities

• Staff assignments and acting as a role model for nursing staff.
• Coordinate patient flow, admissions, transfers, and discharges.
• Support bed utilization and capacity management.
• Facilitate interdisciplinary rounds and rapid rounds as needed.
• Contribute to quality improvement and change initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Staff coordination

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

Nursing degree/diploma

CRNA registration (active/eligible)

BCLS-HCP

Job description

Your Opportunity

As the Assistant Head Nurse (AHN) in the Sturgeon Community Hospital Emergency Department, you will provide clinical and operational leadership to support the effective management of Emergency Inpatients (EIPs) and patient flow across the emergency and inpatient care continuum. Working in a fast-paced environment, you will collaborate with Physicians, Patient Services Supervisors, Clinical Management, Educators, Inpatient Units, RAAPID, Allied Health professionals, and frontline staff to ensure safe, timely, and patient- and family-centered care. In this role, you will co-ordinate patient admissions, transfers, and discharges; support bed utilization and capacity management; facilitate interdisciplinary rounds; and address barriers impacting patient progression and access to care. You will maintain awareness of department capacity pressures, support operational decision-making, and contribute to strategies that improve patient flow, reduce delays, and optimize resource utilization. As a clinical leader and mentor, you will provide guidance and support to nursing staff managing complex patient care situations while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning. You will assist with complex case management, problem-solving, staff development, and the promotion of evidence-informed practice. You will also contribute to quality improvement, process redesign, and change initiatives using performance data, frontline feedback, and interdisciplinary collaboration. This position offers an exciting opportunity to influence patient flow, enhance care delivery, and support operational excellence while making a meaningful impact on patient outcomes and the delivery of healthcare services.

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.

Job Details

Classification: Assistant Head Nurse

Union: United Nurses of Alberta

Unit and Program: Emergency

Primary Location: Sturgeon Community Hospital

Location Details: As Per Location

Multi-Site: At (UNA only)

FTE: 0.61

Posting End Date: 16-NOV-2026

Temporary Employee Class: Temp P/T Benefits

Date Available: 04-JAN-2027

Temporary End Date: 04-JAN-2028

Hours per Shift: 9.75

Length of Shift in weeks: 10

Shifts per cycle: 23

Shift Pattern: Days, Evenings, Nights, Weekends

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

• Minimum five (5) years of recent Charge Nurse experience in an Emergency Department and/or acute care Medicine unit.
• Recent experience coordinating patient flow, admissions, transfers, discharges, and bed utilization within an acute care and/or emergency department environment.
• Demonstrated experience collaborating with interdisciplinary teams, physicians, Allied Health professionals, Patient Services Supervisors, and operational leaders to facilitate patient progression and continuity of care.
• Experience participating in or leading inter-disciplinary rapid rounds.
• Experience mentoring, coaching, and supporting frontline staff in clinical practice, patient flow, and operational processes.
• Advanced knowledge of patient flow principles, capacity management strategies, discharge planning processes, and systems of care across the acute care continuum.
• Working knowledge of organizational escalation processes, Over Capacity Protocols (OCP), Return-to-Bed (RTB) processes, and Emergency Inpatient (EIP) management.
• Proven ability to lead and support change initiatives while fostering staff engagement and accountability.
• In this position, you will be on your feet for an extended period of time (both walking and standing), and you must be able to assist in transporting, lifting and positioning of patients.
• You will also be required to bend, lift, push, and pull equipment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Additional education or training in quality improvement, Lean methodology, change management, project management, patient flow, capacity management, or healthcare operations.
• Completion of courses related to leadership development, conflict resolution, facilitation, coaching, or team effectiveness is considered an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze clinical and operational data, identify trends, and implement evidence-informed solutions to improve patient outcomes and departmental flow.