Registered Nurse - Mental Health

Important messages

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please use the Contact information below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Assessment accommodation

When you apply to this selection process, you are not applying for a specific job, but to an inventory for future vacancies. As positions become available, applicants who meet the qualifications may be contacted for further assessment.

All applicants must provide a recent resume that clearly indicates that they meet the required qualifications.

Duties

Mental Health Nurses working for the Department of National Defense provide care to members of the Canadian Armed Forces as part of an interdisciplinary care team working in a patient centered outpatient clinical environment. Practice is focused on providing individual and group therapy to promote mental health, and for the treatment and management of mental disorders. Mental health nurses provide care through the development of therapeutic relationships, completing biopsychosocial assessments, administering and monitoring therapeutic interventions such behavioral and interpersonal therapy, managing crisis, and providing psycho-education and medication teaching.

Work environment

The Department of National Defence (DND) is one of the largest federal government employers, offering over 70 different types of civilian career opportunities. DND's role is to provide services and support to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in their operations and missions at home and abroad. As a civilian employee, you will be an essential part of the Defence Team. In this regard, the department fosters a work environment where employees have opportunities to grow, to learn, to progress in their careers and have job satisfaction over the long-term.

Intent of the process

This inventory may be used for various tenures (indeterminate, deployment, specified period, assignment, secondment). Applicants who meet the essential qualifications will have their application included in the inventory for this ongoing selection process. As positions become available, the applicants meeting the initial screening requirements identified by the hiring manager may be contacted and referred for consideration. Please ensure that your information is updated and remains current in your PSRS Applicant Account.

Your application in this inventory will be active for 365 days. A notice that your application is about to expire will be posted to the My jobs menu of your account 14 days before the end of your active period. If you do not take action, your application will no longer be active and therefore no longer considered for this inventory. Should your application become inactive while the process is still open, a notice will be posted to your account indicating that your application has expired; you may select the link Update my Inventory Status to reaffirm your interest.

Positions to be filled: Number to be determined

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter in 450 words (maximum) "Please provide a covering letter, in no more than 450 words, describing your interest in working with a military population and clearly identifying your recent work experience in direct patient care in a mental health setting."

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with acceptable specialization in nursing, psychiatric mental health nursing or some other specialty relevant to the position.

Degree equivalency

Current registration as a Registered Nurse (RN) or Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN) (See NOTE*) in the province or territory of employment and a member in good standing in that province and willingness and eligibility to become registered, at the time of appointment, in the province where the position is located.

*NOTE: Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN)* practice as a distinct profession and are regulated in Canada in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba through four regulatory bodies the College of Registered Nurse of British Columbia, the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta, the Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Saskatchewan, and the college of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba.

Significant experience* in providing nursing care to a variety of persons experiencing mental health issues in a community mental health setting.

Significant experience* providing biopsychosocial assessment, counselling, psychotherapy and nursing interventions to patients with mental disorders and psycho-social difficulties.

*Significant experience is defined as experience associated with having performed a broad range of related activities in community mental health nursing normally associated with full time practice over a period of approximately 2 years.

Recent experience in community mental health nursing within the last 5 years.

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

Various language requirements

Information on language requirements

Second Language Writing Skills Self-Assessment
In order to help you decide if you should apply to a bilingual position, an optional self-assessment of your writing skills in your second official language is available for you to take before completing your application.

For more information, please consult:
Unsupervised Internet Test of Second Language Writing Skills

Assessment:
- Ability to complete a biopsychosocial assessment.

Counselling and Therapy:
- Ability to provide counselling and therapy to patients in an individual setting.
- Ability to provide counselling and therapy to patients in a group setting.

Collaboration:
- Ability to work in a collaborative interdisciplinary practice environment.

Communication:
- Ability to effectively communicate verbally
- Ability to effective communicate in writing.

Initiative
Effective interpersonal relationships
Judgement
Teamwork
Reliability

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

Certificate or diploma in psychiatric mental health nursing from a recognized post-secondary institution*.
*NOTE: Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN) education will meet this asset qualification.

Degree equivalency

Canadian Nurses Association Certification in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, CPMHN(C).

Certificate in concurrent disorders.

Experience in working with concurrent disorders.

Experience working in delivering presentations and facilitating groups.

Experience in providing psychotherapy including Cognitive Processing Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, trauma therapy and Motivational Interviewing.

Occasional overtime may be required.

Occasional travel on short notice may be required.

Flexible working hours may be required.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Continuous registration, in good standing, with the provincial regulatory body responsible for regulating the profession of nursing in which employment is maintained.

Candidates must meet and maintain the above noted conditions of employment throughout their employment

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the designated groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

PLEASE NOTE: For this selection process, our intention is to communicate with applicants by e-mail for screening/assessment purposes (including issuing screening results, and sending invitations for written tests and interviews).

Applicants who apply to this selection process must include in their application a valid e-mail address and make sure this address is functional at all times and accepts messages from unknown users.

You will be required to show how you demonstrate the essential qualifications (i.e. Education, Experience and/or Occupational Certification) for the initial screening through your resume and in answering online screening questions. It is NOT sufficient to only state that the qualifications are met or to provide a listing of current or past responsibilities. Rather you must clearly demonstrate HOW, WHEN, and WHERE the qualification was met through substantiation by examples. Information on your described skills, experience, etc. provided in screening questions should be supported by your resume. Failure to provide the above information in the format required may result in your application being rejected from the process.

Not all work locations listed have current vacancies. This process will be used to fill future vacancies.

Reference checks may be sought.

An interview may be administered.

A test may be administered.

You must provide proof of your education credentials.

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language(s) of their choice.

A random and/or top down selection of candidates may be used in the determination of those to be given further consideration in the assessment process.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans and to Canadian citizens, in that order, with the exception of a job located in Nunavut, where Nunavut Inuit will be appointed first.

Information on the preference to veterans

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.