Registered Practical Nurse

Come Build Hope and Homes with Us!

Registered Practical Nurse – Full Time 

St. Thomas, ON (Railway City Lofts)

Salary: $56,100-$65,500   

Position Description:  Working as part of the interdisciplinary team as the  RPN, you will work to your full scope of practice in collaboration with  Nurses across the organization and with Indwell’s Clinical Lead. As an integral part of an interdisciplinary care team, you will assist in the coordination and delivery of holistic health care to residents within a supportive housing model. This is an approach to wellness that simultaneously addresses the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual components of health. Modelling the principles of person-centered and evidence-based care while collaborating within an interdisciplinary team. This program serves individuals who have experienced long term housing instability and/or long stay hospitalizations. You will require a high level of resilience and willingness to work in close proximity to challenging situations.

What matters to you? Being in a work culture that operates out of their core values of DIGNITY, LOVE and HOPE- embracing diversity, promoting equality and inclusion. A place that sees you as a LEADER contributing your individuality to champion the vision of creating communities that TRANSFORM lives. 

About Indwell:  Founded in 1974, our Christian charity continues to thrive and grow exponentially as we serve people impacted by poverty and homelessness through our vision of HOPE and HOMES for All.   We are the fastest growing developer in Ontario creating affordable high quality efficient housing communities coupled with supportive programs to over 1200 tenants to meet their needs of health, wellness, and belonging.   To learn more, go to: indwell.ca/our-model

Hours of Work: 40 hours per week. The program operates 7 days a week, including public holidays. Flexibility is required to meet program needs, which will include evening and weekend hours. Participation in the on-call schedule rotation is required to support the residents and each other on the team. The on-call rotation consists of carrying a work cell phone 24/7 for one week at a time, responding to urgent needs.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING:

Participation and Commitment to the Interdisciplinary Team   

• Reinforce a positive workplace culture and tone through your skilled verbal and written communication
• Keep interdisciplinary team informed of community opportunities and emerging trends related to best practices in community nursing
• Provide health teaching and educational resources regarding nursing practices to the interdisciplinary team
• Maintain oversight of the medication support program, inclusive of addiction medicine.
• Assist in the orientation and support of staff, students and volunteers

• Ability and interest to act as a preceptor to nursing students  

• Promote and demonstrate the vision, mission and values of Indwell within the workplace and the community   
• Attend and actively participate in team meetings and other agency meetings as required
• Engage in community tables as appropriate 
• Understanding and having knowledge of psychosocial rehabilitation, recovery models, including harm reduction strategies around substance use
• Demonstrate ongoing commitment to learning and supporting diverse individuals and communities (i.e. cultural safety, anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice)

Directly Supporting Individuals to maintain and improve their health and housing   

• Build therapeutic relationships with residents with a recovery-oriented, trauma-informed approach, promoting trust, in alignment with Indwell’s values of dignity, love, and hope.
• Understanding and knowledge of psychosocial rehabilitation, recovery models, including harm reduction strategies around substance use
• Ensure and maintain good functioning and oversight of the medication support program, including medication training for staff team.  
• Liaise with pharmacy to ensure a good working relationship is maintained    
• Provide direct nursing care to residents as required within scope of practice
• Collaborate with and organize appropriate community nursing and medical supports in addition to informal supports for tenants
• As part of an interdisciplinary team, coordinate, lead and/or facilitate the development and monitoring of supportive care plans in collaboration with an internal and external team of community professionals and agencies
• Provide physical health, mental health, and addictions assessments in collaboration with program staff and supports. Ensuring consistent follow up with treatment and recovery plans    
• Regular monitoring of residents within scope of practice and evaluating the effectiveness of residents’ support plans through regular follow up visits   
• Participate in the intake process and onboarding new residents to the program
• Demonstrate confidence and skill with de-escalation strategies as well as crisis prevention and intervention
• Health teaching for staff and residents on topics including but not limited to medications, immunization, chronic disease management, etc.   Ensure continuity of care by maintaining up to date health records and communication with primary care providers and other service providers as required. Provide suggestions with regards to any required changes in residents’ treatment profile  
• Complete required reports in a timely manner in accordance with policy and procedures
• Assist volunteers to deliver relevant supports within the program
• Comfort with landlord responsibilities such as pest management and rent collection
• Plan and facilitate programs relevant to health, wellness, and belonging in collaboration with members of the interdisciplinary team
• Employ strategies to foster a sense of community within the program.  
• Support residents’ engagement in cultural, spiritual, recreational, leisure, educational, and social activities.    
• Take responsibility for a primary case load (either within a team-model or individual case-manager model) under supervision of the Housing Support Team Lead and/or Program Supervisor.  

Leadership    

• Consistently show initiative and engage in creative problem solving
• Demonstrate ongoing commitment to learning and supporting diverse individuals and communities (i.e. cultural safety, anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice)
• Experience leading and/or guiding internal teams to accomplish shared goals
• Reinforce a positive workplace culture and tone through your skilled verbal and written communication
• Keep interdisciplinary team informed of community opportunities and emerging trends related to best practices in community nursing
• Engaging and establishing external community partnerships to meet and improve the health and wellness needs of residents
• Landlord responsibilities such as pest management and rent collection

Health, Welfare and Safety Practices

• Maintaining a safe and healthy working environment
• Upholding organizational policy and procedures
• Using appropriate procedures when responding to emergency situations
• Complete required safety checks and inspections as assigned.
• Attending and participating in all required training to maintain and develop new skills
• Other duties as required

WHAT YOU WILL BRING:  

• Completion of an approved Registered Practical Nursing program
• Experience in community nursing with a focus on mental health/addiction services is an asset with harm reduction approaches to substance use. Lived experience valued.
• Demonstrated ongoing learning and experience around supporting diverse individuals and communities (i.e. cultural safety, anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice, etc.)

• Current registration as a Registered Practical Nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario  
• Evidence of appropriate insurance as stipulated by the College of Nurses of Ontario  

• Experience working within a case management framework with individuals with serious mental illness, substance use, or other special needs

• A client centered approach, using trauma-informed strategies to support residents
• A warm, sensitive and caring approach with a genuine interest in supporting a diverse population of people living with mental illness
• Strong communication, listening, interview and assessment skills, as well as critical thinking and problem-solving abilities using an evidenced based approach

• Effective crisis intervention and conflict management skills
• Ability to work effectively in a high stress environment, work independently, be flexible, organized, responsible and take initiative
• Excellent written, verbal, time management and organizational skills
• A commitment to interpersonal collaborative teamwork and care and continuous professional development

• Familiarity with SPDAT/ the Ontario Common Assessment of Need is an asset
• Committed to upholding and modeling the standards set out in the organization’s Mission Statement, Statement of Faith, Code of Conduct and other operating standards and policies  
• A valid “G” class driver’s license with own vehicle

We want you to thrive: 

• Vacation: 3 weeks paid (15 days) with 8 HEAL days (sick and personal appointments) per year 
• Extensive Benefits paid: Extended health (100% medication coverage- some exceptions may apply), dental and vision care.  Life Insurance and long term disability
• Employee Assistance Program- primary care and professional consulting services
• Group RRSP: Indwells contributes 5% of salary
• New Staff Orientation Days  
• Professional and Personal Development- annual Leadership Conference (themed with guest speaker) + Spiritual Ranch Retreat (reflection and recharge with various outdoor activities).  Clifton Strengths Finder Assessment facilitated by People Developer for mentoring opportunities, Lunch and Learn Webinars, Indigenous Cultural Competency and 2SLGBTQ Awareness. Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI), First Aid/CPR/Naloxone, Therapeutic Relationships and Applied Suicide Intervention (ASIST) 
• Social Events:  Indwell’s Hope and Homes Banquet yearly to celebrate the important work we do + team gatherings 

As Indwell works to support diverse tenant populations, we are seeking to create a diverse work culture that closely matches the diversity of our communities with qualified individuals who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives.  Our supports, services and employment are open to people from every creed, race, ethnicity, sex, ability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.  And we especially invite applications from Black, Indigenous peoples, members of racialized communities and intersectionalities.  Indwell’s leadership are motivated by the example of Jesus Christ as reflected in Indwell’s statement of faith.  

Inspired to JOIN OUR TEAM, we invite you… 

To APPLY:  Please forward your cover letter and resume to our website: www.indwell.ca/careers. We thank all for your interest; however, only those applicants that are being considered will be notified.  

Personal information submitted will be used only for employment opportunities within Indwell in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act.    

Accommodation will be provided to applicants who make their needs known in advance for the duration of the hiring process as required under Indwell’s Employment policy.