Job Summary
In accordance with the Purpose, Vision, Values and Coast Salish Teachings, and strategic direction of PHSA, safety, including both patient and employee safety, is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone at PHSA. As such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position.
The Consultation Liaison Nurse (CNL) works collaboratively to support women and birthing people experiencing mental health challenges across acute inpatient and outpatient settings and supports mental health capacity building and system responsiveness.
The CLN provides specialized mental health nursing consultation and clinical leadership to nurses, physicians, and interdisciplinary team members regarding complex mental health presentations, risk identification, therapeutic interventions, behavioural concerns, substance use and concurrent disorders, and treatment planning. The CNL develops and evaluates nursing care approaches and practice recommendations, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration through consultation on complex cases, and supports implementation of evidence-informed, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented care. The CLN leads knowledge translation, education, and capacity-building activities, facilitates integration of psychiatric treatment recommendations into care, supports complex discharge planning and continuity of care, and contributes to quality improvement, practice development, and system coordination initiatives.
The CLN delivers specialized reproductive and perinatal mental health assessment, advanced mental health nursing assessment, brief therapeutic intervention, care planning, participation in patient conferences, care coordination, and follow-up. This work is grounded in an evidence-informed, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented framework and supports the integration of psychiatric treatment recommendations into patient care.
Duties/Accountabilities
- Provides mental health nursing assessment, consultation, and clinical leadership to nurses, physicians, and allied health professionals regarding complex mental health presentations, psychiatric symptoms, risk identification, therapeutic interventions, medication-related concerns, behavioural management strategies, trauma-informed practice, and the need for medical or psychiatric intervention; promotes interdisciplinary collaboration through clinical guidance, mentorship, and consultation on complex cases.
- Conducts complex biopsychosocial mental health assessments, identifies risks, provides brief therapeutic interventions and supportive counselling, develops nursing recommendations, and coordinates care for women and birthing people experiencing reproductive and perinatal mental health concerns.
- Evaluates and develops nursing care approaches and practice recommendations for patients with complex mental health needs; facilitates interdisciplinary treatment planning and continuity of care; determines nursing strategies to support behavioural and emotional management and provides guidance regarding monitoring, documentation, and escalation requirements.
- Provides assessment and consultation regarding substance use and concurrent disorders, including withdrawal and safety considerations. Supports integration of findings into treatment plan and liaises with consulting teams such as the Perinatal Addiction Service.
- Coordinates the triage of referrals by gathering and synthesizing relevant clinical information from nurses, treating teams, and patients, and collaborating with the consultation-liaison psychiatrist to assess urgency, establish referral priorities, and inform timely clinical assessment and treatment planning..
- Serves as the primary liaison between the Consultation Liaison Service and nursing, medical, and interdisciplinary teams by coordinating referrals, communicating and clarifying assessment findings and treatment recommendations, facilitating continuity of care, and supporting implementation of care plans.
- Leads complex discharge planning with diagnostic and health services staff, social work, Child and Family Services where relevant, community mental health teams, outpatient services, and external providers to ensure safe, continuous transitions in care.
- Participates in interprofessional case conferences for treatment and discharge planning, and advocates for patients and families with internal and external services.
- Leads knowledge translation as an educational resource, developing evidence-informed materials such as pamphlets, web pages, teaching videos, reference care plans, and learning packages for nurses, and teaching plans for patients, families, and health care providers, while reviewing materials to ensure they remain current, clinically relevant, and cost effective.
- Builds clinical capacity across medical and surgical settings through in-services, mentorship, clinical teaching, and formal advising of nursing staff and students, sustaining competency in reproductive and perinatal mental health.
- Provides guidance on violence de-escalation, suicide prevention, seclusion, and restraint, and supports staff adherence to related policies and legislation.
- Contributes to quality-of-care measures, quality improvement, and nursing research, including data collection, evaluation of practice change, and identification of practice gaps.
- Provides recommendations in quality management activities related to nursing practice, and provides input into program policies, procedures, operational requirements, and proposals that address patient and family needs and use resources effectively.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Education, Training and Experience
- Graduation from an approved school of nursing or psychiatric nursing.
- Current practicing registration as a Registered Nurse or Registered Psychiatric Nurse with the British Columbia College of Nurses & Midwives (BCCNM).
- Three (3) years' recent, related experience in an adult mental health treatment setting, or one (1) years’ experience in reproductive psychiatry including triage; and one (1) year's related administrative/supervisory experience or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
Skills And Abilities
- Demonstrated knowledge in specific areas of clinical practice related to reproductive and women’s mental health
- Demonstrated knowledge of trauma informed care, attachment theory, and grief and loss
- Demonstrated crisis de-escalation, and suicide risk assessment skills, as well as time limited supportive counseling focusing on management of acute stressors, symptom reduction and strengthening coping mechanisms.
- Demonstrated knowledge of models of mentorship and clinical leadership with the health care professions and demonstrated ability to successfully support the clinical learning of others.
- Demonstrated ability to differentiate between underlying medical conditions and primary psychiatric emergencies.
- Broad knowledge of evidence-based practice and research process and methodology.
- Ability to demonstrate Mandt training techniques.
- Knowledge of substance use treatment, harm reduction approaches, and concurrent disorders, alongside mental illness treatment.
- Demonstrated knowledge of British Columbia mental health, consent, and capacity legislation and related policy, including policy governing seclusion and restraint.
- Knowledge of perinatal psychopharmacology, including medication used in pregnancy and lactation.
- Demonstrated ability in completing comprehensive psychosocial assessment across social determinants of health, including housing, finances, education, legal issues, and access to services.
- Demonstrated ability consulting to medical and surgical teams and leading practice change across clinical settings.
- Demonstrated ability to lead complex discharge and interagency care planning.
- Comprehensive knowledge and demonstrated skills in individual, family and group therapy.
- Demonstrated organizational ability.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
- Demonstrated ability to make decisions in an independent manner in a clinical setting.
- Demonstrated ability to develop, implement and evaluate educational programs, material and strategies.
- Demonstrated ability to teach, demonstrate, facilitate and coach.
- Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position.
