Registered Practical Nurse (RFT 1.0 FTE)

The Royal Ottawa Health Care Group is looking for a registered practical nurse to join its Nursing Resource Team. This full-time, onsite position in Ottawa invites RPNs who enjoy variety and working across hospital units to ensure smooth patient care. The hospital emphasizes teamwork, ongoing learning, and hands-on nursing in a structured, supportive environment.

As a Resource Team RPN, you’ll be ready to float to all units as needed, stepping in where there’s a nursing shortfall or increased patient needs. The role suits someone who wants to stay close to patient care while contributing to a broader care plan, collaborating with an inter-disciplinary team to deliver safe, compassionate care across different clinical areas.

If you’re looking for a role that puts you in touch with diverse clinical scenarios and values professional development, this could be a strong fit. Ottawa’s healthcare community and these hospital teams rely on flexible, skilled nurses who can adapt quickly while maintaining high standards of practice.

Across units, care in motion

In this capacity you’ll be available to move between hospital units as required, delivering direct nursing care and contributing to assessments and care planning. Your day-to-day duties will include monitoring patients and performing routine nursing tasks such as measuring vital signs and reading glucometers, administering injections, and managing medications. You’ll support wound care, oxygen therapy, suctioning, bladder scanning and catheterization, and you may assist with physical and mental health assessments as part of the care team. When needed, you’ll participate in recovery activities for procedures like ECT and help with skin care and feeding, always prioritizing patient safety and dignity. Collaboration with the broader care team will be essential as you help coordinate care and communicate changes in patient status to colleagues across units.

Documentation and basic computer tasks will be part of the workflow, ensuring accurate records and timely communication with other professionals. The role expects you to establish therapeutic relationships with patients and their families while contributing as a reliable member of the inter-disciplinary team, supporting colleagues across shifts to maintain continuity of care.

Must-have credentials, plus a couple of extras

Here's what you’ll need to be considered for this role. The day-to-day requirements focus on formal credentials, regulatory standing, safety training, and practical nursing skills:

• Graduate of a recognized Diploma Program in Practical Nursing
• Current registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario
• Understanding of the CNO Standards related to the RPN scope of practice
• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act and relevant legislation
• CPR/AED certification within the last two years
• Prevention of Violence in the Workplace training (C.P.I.) completed
• Commitment to ongoing professional development
• Technical nursing competencies including glucometer reading, vital signs, injections, physical and mental health assessments, catheterization, medication administration, oxygen therapy, wound care, suctioning, safe patient handling, bladder scanning, ECT recovery, skin care and feeding
• Ability to build therapeutic relationships with patients
• Ability to function effectively as part of an inter-disciplinary team
• Basic computer skills

Nice-to-have background that helps you stand out

• Two years of recent experience in psychiatric or mental health nursing
• Knowledge of mechanical lifts, transferring and positioning techniques

Compensation, benefits and practical details

The role is full-time and onsite at The Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, located in Ottawa, CA. The organization supports staff health, well-being and financial security through a comprehensive total rewards package that may include a defined benefit pension plan with HOOPP, health and dental benefits through Medavie Blue Cross, life insurance and disability coverage through Manulife (including short- and long-term disability where applicable), and an Employee and Family Assistance Program through Telus Health for eligible family members (casual staff are excluded).

The package reflects a commitment to helping you thrive both personally and professionally now and in the future, with tailored benefits designed to support you over the course of your career at The Royal.

Tips for applicants

Lead with your practical nursing credentials and Ontario registration to set the stage for this floating role. In your resume and cover materials, call out your ability to move between units and adapt quickly to different patient needs, and emphasize CPR/AED dates and CPI training to demonstrate readiness for a safety-focused environment.

When you describe your must-have skills, be specific about experiences with vital signs, glucometer use, medication administration, catheterization, oxygen therapy, and ECT recovery, including any hands-on examples you can share from previous roles. If you have psychiatric or mental health nursing experience, feature it prominently as a differentiator for this Nursing Resource Team position.

Prepare for interviews by sharing concrete scenarios where you built therapeutic relationships and collaborated with an inter-disciplinary team across unit boundaries. You may be asked how you handle cross-unit coverage and de-escalation or safety concerns, so think through experiences that illustrate calm, patient-centered decision-making.

Asking thoughtful questions can set you apart. Consider inquiring about how often RPNs float between units, which units you most frequently cover, and what professional development opportunities exist to support ongoing growth in this resource role.