Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurses, Placed Across Canada
Mental health nursing, built on trust and steady presence. We connect nurses with psychiatric and mental health roles, and help programs find nurses who bring skill, calm and respect to complex care.
- Free for candidates. Always.
- Licences verified with the regulator
- Every province and territory except Quebec
Care that starts with the relationship
Mental health nurses assess and support people living with mood disorders, psychosis, trauma, addiction, dementia-related behaviours and crisis. The therapeutic relationship is the main tool, along with medication management and safe, recovery-focused care.
Assessment and de-escalation
Mental status assessment, risk assessment and de-escalation.
Medication management
Medication administration and monitoring, including long-acting injectables and clozapine monitoring where used.
Planning and follow-up
Care planning, group and family work, discharge and community follow-up.
Where we place mental health RNs
Mental health nursing spans hospital units, community teams and specialized settings.
Inpatient psychiatry
Inpatient psychiatric units and hospital emergency mental health.
Hospital staffingCommunity and addictions
Community mental health teams, addictions and concurrent disorders programs.
Mental health and addictions staffingResidential, supportive and forensic
Residential, supportive and forensic settings.
Population and specialized careGeriatric psychiatry
Long-term care and geriatric psychiatry.
Long-term care staffingWe fill these roles through contract and relief staffing and through permanent direct hire. We place in every province and territory except Quebec.
Credentials and what employers look for
Employers set their own training requirements. This is what we most often see.
Required
- Active RN registration (or registered psychiatric nurse registration where the role allows it) in the province of work
- BCLS is common
Often valued
- CNA psychiatric and mental health certification, CPMHN(C)
- Non-violent crisis intervention training
- Suicide risk assessment training and Mental Health First Aid
- Experience with addictions care
The Canadian Federation of Mental Health Nurses is the national association for the specialty.
Our honest note: We verify registration and listed credentials. Employers set their own training requirements.
Safety and trust come first
Orientation typically covers unit safety, de-escalation, restraint and seclusion policy, mental health legislation for the province, and documentation. New-to-psychiatry nurses should expect a longer orientation and a preceptor. Nurses should ask about staffing levels, personal safety measures and debrief supports.
Buyer note: describe your patient mix and safety supports honestly so candidates can choose well.
Questions worth asking before you start
- What security presence and alarms are in place?
- What workplace violence prevention training is provided?
- What supervision and debrief supports exist?
Why mental health nursing is hard to staff
Demand is high, and the work asks a lot of the people doing it.
Demand outpaces supply
In many regions demand outpaces supply, and people can wait a long time for care.
Emotional load and safety
Emotional load and workplace violence risk make retention hard.
Skills differ widely
Acute inpatient, forensic, community and addictions roles ask for different strengths.
A split pool
Some provinces have registered psychiatric nurses as a separate profession, which splits the pool.
How it works
For nurses
- Submit your profileShare your background.
- We verify and talkWe verify registration and talk through your mental health experience and boundaries.
- We share rolesSuitable roles come to you.
- You decideYou decide on introductions.
For facilities
- Share your settingSetting, patient mix, safety supports and shifts.
- We screenWe screen and verify.
- You reviewCandidate summaries for your team.
- You decideYou interview and decide.
What makes our approach different
We keep this practical and we do not overpromise. Hiring decisions stay with the facility, and career decisions stay with you.
Specific screening
Acute, forensic, community and addictions are different, so we ask.
Candid about safety
We encourage employers to share supports and nurses to ask.
Verification
We check registration and listed credentials.
Related pages
Registered nurses
The parent page for RN jobs and staffing across Canada.
Registered nurse jobs in CanadaMental health and addictions
The facility page for mental health and addictions programs.
Mental health and addictions staffingER nurses
Emergency nursing, with frequent mental health presentations.
ER nurse jobsComplex and chronic care
Long-term care for people with high-need conditions.
Complex and chronic care nursesPopulation and specialized care
Residential, supportive and forensic settings.
Population and specialized careCommunity health workers
Frontline community roles that work alongside nurses.
Community health worker jobsFrequently asked questions
Do I need psychiatric experience?
Many roles ask for it, though some units train motivated nurses. Tell us your background, including any addictions, crisis or community experience, and we will say where you may fit. New-to-psychiatry nurses should expect a longer orientation with a preceptor.
Which certification applies?
The Canadian Nurses Association offers psychiatric and mental health certification, CPMHN(C). Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses can both apply. It is an optional credential, and employers also look closely at the setting and patient population you have worked with.
What is a registered psychiatric nurse?
In British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs) are a separate regulated profession. In Ontario, RPN means registered practical nurse, which is different. We recruit registered nurses on this page and can discuss registered psychiatric nurse roles on request.
Do you place nurses on relief for mental health units?
Yes, where sites use relief coverage and the nurse has relevant experience. Safety orientation matters most here, so we ask sites about their onboarding and supports. See our contract and relief staffing page for how short-term coverage works.
Let us talk about mental health RNs
I am a mental health nurse
Share your profile and we will be in touch. Free for candidates. Always.
Submit your profileI need mental health coverage
Tell us the setting, the shifts and the start date.
Request mental health staff