Clinical Leader Operations, Subacute Inpatient Unit

Nova Scotia Health Authority; Halifax; Hybrid; CAD 59,000 - 74,000; Full time

Job summary

IWK Health is seeking a Clinical Leader for the Subacute Inpatient Unit in Halifax to oversee efficient operations and direct clinical care. The role emphasizes leadership, staff development, and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams to enhance patient outcomes.

The position is a temporary full-time long-assignment (100% FTE) for one year, starting October 2026. Requires nursing qualification, BLS, and crisis intervention certification.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited School of Nursing Program is required.
• Licensed or eligible for licensure by the provincial regulator.
• BLS certification within the last 12 months is required.
• Non-violent Crisis Intervention certification is required.
• Minimum five years of clinical nursing experience is required.
• Minimum three years of mental health and addictions nursing experience.
• Experience with adolescents in a rehabilitative setting is an asset.
• Leadership, teaching and mentorship experience is expected.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with treatment teams to ensure safe, high-quality care.
• Identify and drive quality initiatives to improve care.
• Act as liaison for Intensive Services with internal and external teams.
• Support preceptorship and staff learning opportunities.
• Coordinate scheduling and workload data with Centralized Staffing Office.
• Work in a multidisciplinary team providing inpatient care to adolescents with MH/ADD.
• Lead change in practice while maintaining patient- and family-centered care.

Skills

Leadership

Teaching

Mentorship

Communication

Time management

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Problem solving

Adaptability

Education

Graduate of an accredited School of Nursing Program

Licensed or eligible for licensure

BLS within last 12 months

Non-violent Crisis Intervention certification

Mental health nursing experience

Job description

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Clinical Leader Operations, Subacute Inpatient Unit

Req ID: 227492
Department/Program: Subacute Unit , Mental Health And Addictions
Location: Halifax
Type of Employment:TemporaryHourly FT long-assignment (100% FTE) for 1 year x 1position(s)
Start Date:October 2026
Union Status:NSNU Nursing, Nursing Bargaining Unit
Compensation: $42.6131 - $54.0593 /hour
Closing Date: October 06, 2026 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 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

Reporting to the Clinical Manager within the Subacute Unit, the Clinical Leader supports the efficient and effective operations of inpatient care within the Subacute Unit by assisting with the planning, organization, and directing of clinical care consistent with the philosophy, objectives and vision of the IWK Health Centre. The Clinical Leader role models professional nursing practice and fosters the development of an environment in which the desired outcome of all activities is the enhancement of patient care. The Clinical Leader demonstrates strong leadership, organization and communication skills. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: collaborating with the treatment team members to ensure safe quality care is provided; identifying and facilitating quality initiatives to improve care; acting as a liaison for Intensive Services with other teams and services within the Health Centre and with partners outside the Health Centre; supporting the preceptorship of new staff; in collaboration with the Clinical Leader of Development, organizing, coordinating, and supporting learning opportunities for staff; acting as a resource to the Treatment teams; procuring materials and supplies and facilitating staff learning. In collaboration with the Clinical Managers, the Clinical Leader acts as a consultant to the Centralized Staffing Office to ensure that unit scheduling needs and requirements are met; coordinates and reviews workload measurement data and participates in recruitment and selection of team members when required. The Clinical Leader works within a multi-disciplinary team that provides care to adolescents and their families who present with mental health and/or concurrent disorders and require care in an inpatient setting.

Hours of Work

Monday – Friday (with some flexibility required) eight hour days

Your Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited School of Nursing Program required.
• Licensed or eligible for licensure by the provincial regulator is required
• Current successful completion Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Basic Life Support (BLS) program within the last 12 months or successful completion of a BLS Renewal Challenge Certificate required.
• Non-violent Crisis Intervention certification required.
• Minimum five (5) years relevant clinical nursing experience required.
• Minimum three (3) years recent mental health and addictions clinical nursing experience required.
• Experience working with an adolescent population in a rehabilitative setting an asset.
• Certification in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Canada preferred.
• Knowledge and experience of best practices approaches in the treatment of adolescent mental health and/or concurrent disorders, harm reduction and trauma informed care.
• Demonstrates competency in establishing and maintaining therapeutic relationships and partnerships required.
• Progressive leadership experience required.
• Experience and demonstrated competencies in leadership, teaching, mentorship and clinical care.
• Experience working in an interdisciplinary team required.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and/or with minimal supervisions.
• Adaptable and flexible in responding to changes in patient/family and unit needs.
• Demonstrated competency in advocating for and leading change in practice and care.
• Sound understanding of, and commitment to family centred care required.
• Demonstrated commitment to professional development and practice required.
• Demonstrated time management, communication (verbal and written), organizational and interpersonal skills required.
• Sound judgement, problem solving and independent decision-making skills required.
• Competency in other languages an asset.

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.

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