Your Opportunity

The Palliative Care Consult Nurse –Assistant Head Nurse - Casual – primarily provides consultation and support to patients, families and attending teams for the management of adult patients with complex palliative symptoms and/or issues related to their life limiting illness. This role requires adaptability to changes in routine and schedule, as this position provides relief to various acute care sites. The role also includes opportunities to provide education ‘just in time’, as part of a formal palliative education network within the PEOLC portfolio and participates in education development activities through a variety of initiatives including committee work, quality improvement, and others.

The position partners with interdisciplinary attending teams and palliative colleagues to: Strengthen the quality of palliative and end of life care through clinical consultation, education, program development, quality improvement, evaluation and research. Provide expert palliative/end of life care nursing consultation for/with attending teams, and patients & families receiving care in the acute care environment. Develop expertise in palliative/end of life care within attending teams, to strengthen palliative care competencies and knowledge and skill capacity.

Facilitates education and consultation to the patient, families, and groups across the continuum of care.

Collaborate with Palliative colleagues: Clinical Nurse Specialists, Palliative Care Physicians and the inter-professional attending team to address complex care challenges, identify system deficits and assist in facilitating implementation of solutions including associated QI/ Evaluation activities focused on building a ‘seamless’ continuum of care, improving access,



and enhancing palliative and end of life care of patients across all sites and sectors.

Description

As an Assistant Head Nurse, you will be responsible for staff assignments, patient flow and acting as a role model, clinical resource and advocate for nursing staff. In addition to providing frontline nursing care, as required, you will take a leadership role in the promotion of quality patient care and the implementation of operational priorities. Your in-depth knowledge and skills, advanced judgment and clinical experience, will assist in providing solutions for complex health care issues at all levels with patients, interprofessional teams, administrators and policy makers.

You will play a key role in providing safe, quality patient and family centered care while reflecting the shared vision and values of AHS.

Transition Company: Assisted Living Alberta Classification: Assistant Head Nurse Union: United Nurses of Alberta Unit and Program: Palliative Care Consult Service Primary Location: Arthur Child Cancer Centre Location Details: As Per Location Multi-Site: At or Out of (UNA only) FTE: 0.00 Posting End Date: 04-SEP-2026 Employee Class: Casual/Relief Date Available: 21-SEP-2026 Hours per Shift: 7.75 Length of Shift in weeks: Varies Shifts per cycle: Varies Shift Pattern: Days, Evenings, Nights, Weekends, On Call Days Off: Saturday/Sunday Minimum Salary: $46.05 Maximum Salary: $63.02 Vehicle Requirement: Not Applicable





Required Qualifications

Completion of an accredited nursing education program. Active or eligible for registration and practice permit with the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA).

Current Basic Cardiac Life

Support - Health Care Provider (BCLS-HCP).

Additional Required Qualifications

3-5 years minimum full-time equivalency of clinical experience relevant to palliative care within Acute Care, Community, or Hospice environments required.

Experience in a palliative nurse consultant role required. 5-7 years of acute care clinical experience required. The ability to work well independently and as part of an interprofessional team is required. Demonstrated skills as an educator, innovator, and change agent required.

Effective interpersonal, verbal, and written communication required. Demonstrated leadership and organizational skills required. Demonstrated ability to work well independently and as part of an inter-professional team.

Computer literacy skills. Ability to manage competing priorities, multiple interruptions, and difficult conversations required - which may include emotionally stressed situations involving patients, family members and attending teams. Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.

Experience in Rural home and community-based services

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s Degree (MN with palliative focus). Master’s Degree (MN with palliative specialization) CNA - Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Nursing certification CHPCN(C). Completion of the ACP/GCD Course. Completion of the Reliable Illness Conversation Workshop. Completion of the How to Care, What to Say Workshop. Completion of the Pallium LEAP Core course

📌 Assistant Head Nurse - Palliative Care Consult Service (Calgary)
🏢 Alberta Health Services
📍 Calgary