REGISTERED PRACTICAL NURSE SSHA Full-time Job

As a Registered Practical Nurse, you will be working with homeless clients providing support to clients with complex physical and mental health and addiction issues. This position:

 

• Provides nursing care and develops and modifies care plans for residents/clients. Attends team meetings.
• Observes, monitors and evaluates condition of clients/residents. Reports vital signs, injuries, and general physical and emotional condition. Attends to critical incidents involving clients.
• Measures and records blood pressure, temperature, respirations, pulse, and weight using equipment, such as blood pressure cuff.
• Prepares and administers prescribed medications and treatments, i.e. eye drops and application of ointments & creams. Administers insulin injections. Records quantities administered.
• Informs residents/clients about medications and side effects.
• Ensures that medication supplies meet designated inventories. Orders medication and medical/nursing supplies. Checks orders. Packages labels, and stores medication and medical supplies.
• Prepares and applies clean dressings and bandages. Cleans wounds and lesions, and replaces bandages. Removes stitches and clips.
• Respond to medical emergency and renders first aid including but not limited to CPR, overdose interventions, etc.
• Orients new residents/clients and staff and familiarizes them with surroundings. Notifies departments and individuals of admittance. Records and secures personal valuables.
• Prepares resident for transfer or departure, including organization of personal belongings, contacting of appropriate organization (hospital, coroner's office, etc.), and completion of required documentation.
• Schedules appointments with hospitals, clinics, diagnostic services, and health specialists by telephone, arranging for transportation and/or escort. Ensures results/hospital records are available to client.
• Provides personal care for residents/clients, i.e. hygiene, bathing, dressing and undressing, toileting, ambulation, and transferring using applicable electric/hydraulic/manual equipment and lifting devices.
• Assists residents/clients with proper exercise and ambulation techniques to support rehabilitative and activation programs.
• Prepares and maintains documentation i.e. charts, records, and incident reports.
• Accompanies physician on rounds, providing information on resident/client general condition and progress, and assisting in examinations, e.g., positioning, dressing and undressing residents/clients.
• Instructs resident/client and family in planning care; offers emotional support; answers questions from resident/client and family. Maintains personal care records.
• Orders office supplies, checks orders and stocks shelves.
• Assists in the operation of weekly clinics in Hostels, including booking of appointments and organizing client files.
• Obtains admission history with clients regarding medical history, immunizations, etc.
• Educates clients and emphasizes important health and medical information.
• Refers and advocates with community agencies regarding health and social services. Assists with the organization and implementation of TB screening clinics. Conducts and reads TB skin tests and follows up positive reactors. Maintains records.
• Administers TB medication and monitors for side effects.
• Investigates persons who are on medical surveillance or treatment for latent TB.
• Inspects physicians' offices to ensure proper storage and handling of vaccines.

 

Key Qualifications:

Your application must describe your qualifications as they relate to:

1. Must be registered and in good standing order as a Registered Practical Nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario.
2. Diploma from a recognized college or school of nursing.
3. Experience in addressing complex client care needs for marginalized and homeless populations in a community, shelter or hospital setting (e.g. underlying physical and mental health, and addiction).
4. Current First Aid and CPR Certificate.

 

You must also have:

• Working knowledge / expertise with homeless population, harm reduction and addiction, would be an asset.
• Ability to provide nursing care to less complex ambulant and non-ambulant residents and clients with predictable outcomes and a focus on restorative, health promotion and palliation. Ability to organize and complete daily work activities and provide work direction to staff members, as assigned in order to complete assignments.
• Sensitivity, empathy, and understanding of resident/client behaviour and needs.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work in a cooperative manner with other staff members as a member of a nursing team. Knowledge of restorative and health promotion interventions in order to contribute to the development and maintenance of care plans.
• Knowledge of dementia and mental health diseases in order to provide care and direction that supports the Hostel Services philosophy of resident care and standards of nursing practices.
• Physically capable of lifting, turning and transferring residents manually.
• Must be willing to participate in in-service education programs.
• Ability to deliver nursing care consistent with the standards of the College of Nurses, Ministry of Health and Long Term Care Program and applicable legislation and regulation.
• Customer service skills working with clients, service providers, the general public and/or staff to address service inquiries, requests and/or complaints.

 

SHIFT INFORMATION: For all programs in the Toronto Shelter and Support Services Division, which operate 24 hours a day / seven days a week, part-time employees are expected to be available to work all shifts (days, afternoons, overnights, weekends and holiday shifts) four (4) separate days a week, of which two (2) days must include Saturdays & Sundays. Hours of work will be determined based on operational needs.

 

Police Reference Check (PRC) Requirements: All successful candidates will be required to provide a current Vulnerable Sector Police Reference Check as a condition of employment for this position. A Police Reference Check program brochure is available at http://www.toronto.ca/housing/employment.htm

 

Notes

• Employees from the three (3) Local 79 part-time bargaining units will be given priority consideration over external applicants.
• Transfer requests from part-time employees will not be accepted as part of this job posting process. Employees wishing a transfer in accordance with their collective agreement, must submit a transfer request prior to the job being posted in order to be considered.
• If selected, the successful candidate will be reassigned to this part-time position and bargaining unit.
• Applicants are required to demonstrate in their resume that their qualifications match those specified in the job posting. Additional information submitted after the job posting closing date will not be accepted.
• Assessment may include an interview, written and/or practical test. Location of assessment to be determined.
• Work location reflects what is known at the time of posting.
• An employee's reporting relationship and/or work location may change due to operational reasons and in accordance with their Collective Agreement.

Toronto, the capital of the province of Ontario, is a major Canadian city along Lake Ontarios northwestern shore. It's a dynamic metropolis with a core of soaring skyscrapers, all dwarfed by the iconic, free-standing CN Tower. Toronto also has many green spaces, from the orderly oval of Queens Park to 400-acre High Park and its trails, sports facilities and zoo.