AVI Health & Community Services (AVI) is a multi-disciplinary community-based organisation providing HIV, hepatitis C and harm reduction services out of 5 locations across Vancouver Island. AVI provides services to people living with HIV and hepatitis C and harm reduction clients. We take evidence-based action to prevent infection, provide support, and reduce stigma. We work within a social justice and health promotion framework to ensure equity and access to services for all. At the core of what we do is our ability, and commitment to, creating meaningful connections. Every day, we strive to create meaningful connections between clients and staff, between peers, between staff members, between organizations, between communities, and between funders and impactful programs. For more info see www.avi.org
PROGRAM SUMMARIES:
The Nanaimo Community Health Centre hosts a variety of program options for community members and service users to access. AVI LPNs/ RNs will work across different programs to provide care and support to service users who have different goals of care across the continuum of health and wellness.
THE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE (CHC) is the longstanding program that has served the downtown Nanaimo area for over a decade. The CHC provides primary and complex care for clients from all walks of life, including people who use drugs, people from the LGBTQIA/2S community, people living with HIV, and people living with HCV. Apart from our medical care, we also offer personal support, counselling, social services, outreach, education, and harm reduction.
The Enhanced Harm Reduction Service (EHR) operates out of our Community Health Centre in Nanaimo. The EHR is a flexible, community‐based, nursing led, harm reduction program that will provide pharmaceutical alternatives to the toxic street drug supply along with wrap around supports. The EHR program aims to help individuals reduce their risk of dying from a drug poisoning event and our service users may not have sobriety or abstinence included in their goals of care. Our services are delivered across the traditional territories of the Snuneymuxw, Stz’uminus, and Snaw'naw'as People.
JOB SUMMARY
The nurse (LPN/RPN/RN) position will work as needed in our community health centre programs, providing care and service for clients with a variety of goals of care. The programs include primary care and substance use services, people living with or at risk of HIV/hepatitis C, health promotion education, outreach, and drop-in harm reduction services, including the enhanced harm reduction program.
The nurse will work in partnership with an interdisciplinary team to provide person-centered healthcare including assessment, screening, and education to support clients who are accessing the programs. The nurse will use a harm reduction, trauma informed approach and clinical skills to independently assess individuals with complex primary care health needs and active poly-substance use. This position requires a professional who is experienced with harm reduction and requires a commitment to collaboration with multiple stakeholders including, first and foremost, people with lived/living experience of criminalized drug use.
The successful candidate will embody a philosophy and practice of collaboration, while working from a relational perspective that upholds values of harm reduction, empathy, social justice, cultural humility, and trauma informed care. The nurse will operate as per the scope of their practice according to their regulatory body (BCCNM) and will report to the clinical leadership team including, the nurse manager.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provides assessment, intake, education, referrals, follow up and support for patients of OAT, Primary Care, STBBI, PrEP, PEP, and EHR services.
- Provide care and support for individuals with high levels of poly-substance use and a variety and complexity of acute and chronic conditions, related but not exclusive to conditions of poverty and criminalization.
- Work both independently and collaboratively with team to support people contemplating or accessing pharmaceutical alternatives to illegal/toxic substances in a variety of settings, such as parks, drop-in centers, shelters, supported housing units, overdose prevention sites, etc.
- Provide care, assessment, screening, education, referrals, and advocacy regarding substance use, acute and chronic health concerns, mental health, sexual health, wound management, and general wellness, including primary and specialist care, substance use services, diagnostic and laboratory services, and medication management.
- Provide harm reduction support through collaborative risk reduction strategy, education, distribution of harm reduction supplies, and overdose prevention education including Naloxone training and distribution.
- Collaborate with participants and the team to develop and maintain individualized care plans, providing ongoing monitoring and support with participants in accordance with their specific care plans.
- Provide education, information and appropriate referrals that are responsive to the self-identified needs of participants to manage their health, enhance understanding of their health status, and navigate through the various services and community supports related to their care.
- Provide screening and assessment and administer medications as ordered by program physicians.
- Work with community partners to ensure seamless support of program participants.
- Participate in staff meetings, trainings, educational forums, and engagement in community building and networking.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Licensed Practical Nurse or Registered Psychiatric Nurse or Registered Nurse or designation from an accredited institution and current full registration with the BC College of Nurses and Midwives.
- Certified courses in phlebotomy, immunization, wound care, foot care, addiction medicine, and certified practice designation in Reproductive Health preferred.
- Minimum 2-3 years of nursing experience working with people with high levels of polysubstance use and mental health challenges, including dispensing and administration of OAT medications and controlled substances.
- Experience working with Trans, queer, gender-nonconforming, bi, questioning, and/or gay male identified communities.
- Previous experience working in supervised consumption/overdose prevention services or safer supply programs, including experience responding to medical emergencies such as overdose (naloxone administration, airway management, etc).
- Able to respectfully engage and support Indigenous relationships, with a trauma informed and decolonial lens
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Strong knowledge of substance use disorder and opiate agonist treatment options.
- Demonstrated practice of social justice, anti-racism, decolonization, and trauma-informed care.
- Demonstrated understanding of public health and equity-oriented models of social support and health care.
- Commitment to harm reduction principles and practice, with experience working alongside coworkers and program participants who experience intersecting systemic oppression.
- Commitment to honoring Indigenous communities and ways of knowing, while approaching learning about the ongoing impacts of colonial violence with humility.
- Understanding of how systemic barriers associated with poverty, mental health, substance use, trauma, racism, colonialism, heterosexism, and gender discrimination impact individual health and well-being, as well as service delivery provision.
- Demonstrated skills, experience, and knowledge in the areas of primary care, substance use, harm reduction, HIV, HCV, sexual health, mental health, and health promotion.
- Demonstrated commitment to person-centered healthcare service provision.
- Works well under pressure in a dynamic environment.
- Capable, independent practitioner and committed team member.
- Excellent communication, conflict resolution and crisis management skills.
- Valid class 5 Driver’s License.
- Valid CPR/BLS for Healthcare Providers Certification
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position and operate related equipment.
- Ability to establish and maintain respectful rapport with participants.
- Ability to observe and recognize subtle changes in participants.
- Strong advocacy and networking skills.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Ability to communicate effectively, both verbal and written.
- Ability to organize and prioritize workload.
- Ability to use related equipment including computer to complete documentation, data, and reports using Electronic Medical Records (EMR).
- Practiced conflict resolution and non-violent crisis intervention skills.
POSITION DETAILS:
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Pay: Wage set by the BCNU Wage Grid) and all applicable premiums apply
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Hours and Schedule: Casual hours to be scheduled during clinic operations Sunday to Saturday 9:30-5:30
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Start date: July 13, 2026
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Location: This position operates out of the Community Health clinic in Nanaimo
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Union: AVI is a union environment under the Collective Agreement: HEABC & Health Services & Support Community Subsector Association 2022-2025
- Benefits: This position will be eligible for extended health, life and AD&D coverage in compliance with the BCNU Collective Agreement. AVI pays for the entire cost of the plan on behalf of its staff.
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Pension: This position is eligible to join the Municipal Pension Plan (MPP) after 487.5 hours at AVI. At this time, AVI contributes an additional 9.31% towards your pension account.
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Other Perks: This position gets 7.69% vacation (equivalent to 20 workdays, prorated for part time), receives Stat In Lieu payments of 5% on each paycheque and has a Sick Bank of 6.92%. Sick and Vacation banks are both accessible after your first 487.5 hours with AVI.
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Hours of Work, Days Off and Work Area may be subject to change.
TO APPLY:
To apply, please click on ‘apply to position’. This position will be open for 72 hours internally, then opened to external candidates if required. This position is open until filled.
AVI is committed to equity and diversity, and we strongly encourage applications from, but not limited to, folks who identify as Indigenous Persons, persons of colour, racialized, persons living with a disability, persons who use/d drugs, persons with experience of sex work, persons who live with HIV and/or hepatitis C, and persons representing diverse genders and sexualities.
It is beneficial to identify in the cover letter if you are Indigenous and/or have lived/living expertise relevant to the position.
Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. We would like to thank all those that apply but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
