Hospice and Palliative Care Staffing and Jobs Across Canada
Care for the end of life takes the right people. We help hospices and palliative programs find compassionate, skilled staff, and we help care professionals find meaningful palliative work across Canada. Based in British Columbia.
- Free for candidates. Always.
- Licences verified with the regulator
- Every province and territory except Quebec
Where palliative care happens
Palliative and hospice care is delivered in several settings, often by small, close teams.
Residential hospice
Small home-like settings with 24-hour nursing and personal care.
Hospital palliative units and consult teams
Symptom management for complex needs.
Community and home palliative care
Nurse visits, physician and NP-led teams, and caregiver support.
Palliative care in long-term care
Homes serving residents near the end of life.
Who we place
Each card leads to a role page with more detail.
Registered Nurses
Palliative and hospice nursing.
See the role pageLicensed Practical Nurses and RPNs
Bedside and team nursing.
See the role pageNurse Practitioners
Physician and NP-led palliative teams.
See the role pageHealth Care Aides and PSWs
Personal care and comfort.
See the role pageOncology Nurses
Cancer care and symptom management.
See the role pageComplex Chronic Care Nurses
Complex ongoing needs.
See the role pageWound Care Nurses
Wound care at end of life.
See the role pageRegistered Dietitians
Nutrition support.
See the role pageOccupational Therapists
Comfort and function.
See the role pagePhysiotherapists
Mobility and comfort.
See the role pageNurse Managers
Team leadership.
See the role pageDirectors of Care
Program leadership.
See the role pagePhysicians, locum coverage
Locum tenens physician coverage.
See the role pageHow it works
Palliative teams are small. We aim for a few right matches rather than volume.
- Share your needs and your cultureSetting, shift pattern, team size and what matters most to your hospice.
- We match for fitWe consider palliative experience and the temperament this work needs.
- We verifyRegulator registration, certificates, and any palliative training you list, such as Pallium Canada LEAP courses or CNA certification in hospice palliative care nursing.
- You meet and decideHospices are small teams, so you choose who joins.
Palliative teams are small. We aim for a few right matches rather than volume.
How palliative and hospice care is organized
A summary of the frameworks, funding and oversight that shape palliative care, with British Columbia first.
National framework
Health Canada's Framework on Palliative Care in Canada (tabled in Parliament in December 2018) guides provincial approaches. The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) advocates nationally, and Pallium Canada supports education through its LEAP courses.
British Columbia (our home province)
Palliative and end-of-life care is delivered through the regional health authorities (Fraser Health, Interior Health, Island Health, Northern Health and Vancouver Coastal Health), community hospices, and home and long-term care teams.
Funding
Residential hospices are usually funded through a mix of provincial health funding (often for nursing and personal care) and community fundraising. Rules differ by province. Many rely on volunteers alongside paid staff.
Ontario
Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO) publishes hospice standards that set expectations for residential hospices in the province.
Accreditation and professional regulation
Some hospices and programs use Accreditation Canada or sector-specific standards. Nurses and allied professionals must hold current registration with their provincial regulator. The Canadian Nurses Association offers specialty certification in hospice palliative care nursing for registered nurses and nurse practitioners.
Medical assistance in dying (MAiD)
MAiD is governed by federal law and provincial policies. Institutions and individual providers have different policies and conscientious objection rights. We never presume a candidate's position.
Confirm current standards with your province and funder.
What hospices and programs tell us
Small teams
One absence matters. We help with dependable relief.
Emotional demands
Palliative work asks a lot. We focus on fit and realistic role descriptions.
Specialized skills
Symptom management, syringe driver use and family communication. We screen for experience.
Funding limits
Hospices run on fixed budgets. We are upfront about what we can work within.
Shift and coverage models
Relief and per diem
Sick calls, vacation and short-term gaps.
Contract
Leave replacement and program starts. See contract and relief staffing.
Permanent
Nurses, aides and managers through direct hire.
Residential hospices operate around the clock, commonly with day, evening and night shifts of 8 or 12 hours. Community programs often include on-call or extended coverage.
Meaningful work for people who want it
This is sensitive work. We keep our answers calm, plain and honest.
- Free for candidates. Always.
- Roles with the palliative focus you want
- Tell us your experience and certificates once
- Honest descriptions of setting, team and shift pattern before you accept
- New to palliative care? Tell us and we will say honestly what roles may suit you
What you can expect from us
Careful matching
We match for experience and for the temperament this work needs.
Verification of registration and training
We check registration and the palliative training you list.
No pressure, plain answers
No urgency tricks and no sales tone, on either side.
Related pages
Long-term care staffing
Residents, continuity and care hours.
Read moreHome and community care staffing
Care delivered in the home.
Read moreHospital staffing
Acute care and specialty units.
Read moreOncology nurse jobs
Cancer care nursing.
Read moreComplex chronic care nurse jobs
Complex ongoing care.
Read moreDirect hire
Permanent placement for hard-to-fill positions.
Read moreFrequently asked questions
Do you place palliative care nurses in hospices?
We recruit for hospice and palliative roles across Canada, except Quebec. Availability depends on the province, the setting and the nurse's registration. Tell us about your hospice or your experience, and we will say honestly what we can find. Palliative teams are small, so we aim for a few right matches.
Do I need palliative certification to work in a hospice?
Not always. Some employers prefer or require it, and some value experience, references and fit just as much. Tell us what you hold, such as Pallium Canada LEAP courses or CNA certification, and what you are working toward, and we will say which roles look realistic.
Can you supply aides and PSWs to hospice teams?
Yes, where available. Titles vary by province: care aide or HCA in BC, PSW in Ontario, and CCA in Nova Scotia. Tell us your setting, shift pattern and team size, and we will look for people with the right experience and temperament for end-of-life care.
Do you handle relief for small hospices?
We can look at per diem and short-term coverage for sick calls, vacation and short-term gaps. Small teams feel every absence, so tell us your needs, your usual shift pattern and how much notice you typically have, and we will say honestly what we think is possible.
Does it cost nurses anything to work with you?
No. Free for candidates. Always. Hospices and programs pay for our service. We never charge nurses, aides or other professionals to submit a profile, to be matched or to take an assignment. If anyone asks you to pay, it is not us.
Is MAiD part of the role?
It depends on the employer's policy and the individual. Institutions and individual providers have different policies and conscientious objection rights, and we never presume a candidate's position. Ask about this directly when exploring a role so you know what the setting expects.
Tell us the palliative work you want, or what your team needs
We do not currently place in Quebec.
Professionals: tell us the kind of palliative work you want.
Share your profile once and we will be in touch about roles that fit.
Submit your profileHospices and programs: tell us what you need.
Tell us your setting, shift pattern and what matters most to your team.
Request staff