Clinical Nurse Specialist, Family Newborn Care Unit

Company : IWK Health 

Req ID: 208001 
Department/Program: Family Newborn Care Unit, Women's & Newborn Health 
Location: Halifax, Multi-Site
Type of Employment: Temporary Hourly FT short-assignment (100% FTE) ending June 30, 2026 x 1 position(s)
 Start Date: October 13, 2025
Union Status: NSNU Nursing, Nursing Bargaining Unit
Compensation: $47.4865 - $58.6442 /hour
Closing Date: September 13, 2025 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)

IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across Nova Scotia. People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values, and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.

Promoting an anti-racist environment, and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care, is important to us. We are located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Working in Mi’kma’ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Manager of Family Newborn Care Unit, the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) will join other CNS's in the Women's and Newborn Health Program as an expert Registered Nurse who promotes excellent care and advances nursing practice throughout the Women's and Newborn Health Program:

• Providing leadership in nursing and working collaboratively in an interprofessional team environment.
• Integrating the skills and knowledge of advanced practice nursing in a collaborative practice setting leading and mentoring team members in evidence-based practice and quality improvement.
• Working in partnership with professional nurses, other healthcare professionals and community partners to provide holistic patient/family centred-care with an emphasis on the care of vulnerable families. 
• Advance nursing practice through knowledge translation
• Functioning as a change agent by challenging current practices and creating an environment of independence and autonomy

The successful candidate will also be eligible for joint appointment with the School of Nursing at Dalhousie University.

Hours of Work

Monday to Friday; 37.5 hours weekly.

Your Qualifications

• ​​​​​​Masters of Nursing required (Master degree in progress may be considered).
• Currently registered, or eligible to be registered with, the Nova Scotia College of Nursing (NSCN) required.
• IBCLC, or willingness to complete within two years, required.
• Advanced theoretical knowledge and extensive clinical expertise in perinatal nursing required.
• Minimum five years recent clinical experience in perinatal nursing is required. Three years recent clinical experience in perinatal nursing plus completion of Masters of Nursing degree may be considered.
• Current successful completion of a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Basic Life Support Level (BLS) Program within the last 12 months, or successful completion of a BLS Renewal Challenge Certificate, required.
• Certification in/or plans to obtain CNA Certification in Perinatal Nursing considered an asset.
• Fetal Health Surveillance certification preferred.
• Demonstrated advanced theoretical knowledge in clinical practice, consultation, leadership, education, and research.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze, translate and apply evidence.
• Demonstrated accomplishments as a nurse leader, facilitator, innovator, role model, advocate, coach and change agent.
• Demonstrated advanced communication skills (verbal and written) required.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in cross-cultural situations required.
• Demonstrated understanding of the social determinants of health and their impact on childbearing families  
• Demonstrated ability to work within a multidisciplinary team and to coordinate care of vulnerable families.
• Demonstrated commitment to the advancement of nursing practice required.
• Demonstrated experience with implementation of quality improvement and patient safety initiatives required.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate creativity and innovation into the practice of nursing.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively with interprofessional team colleagues, patients, families and community partners.
• Demonstrated skills in leading and facilitating groups.
• Ongoing commitment to continuing self-development.
• Competencies in other languages are an asset.

Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.

Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing) you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.

This is a Nursing  bargaining  unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units or employment status, are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position.

An  offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.

If you are an employee of IWK Health, please apply through the internal careers page to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.