Registered psychiatric nurse

Registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs) support people with mental health challenges. They provide care and build trust with patients and families. They also help improve mental health services in their communities. 

About registered psychiatric nurses

Registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs) care for people with mental health and emotional challenges. They assess patient needs, create care plans, and work with health-care teams to support recovery. RPNs build strong, respectful therapeutic relationships with patients, families, and the communities they work with. Their work helps reduce stigma and plays a key role in improving mental health care across B.C.

  • Observe, assess and monitor patients to identify proper treatments, in collaboration with other health-care professionals 
  • Document patient symptoms, reactions and progress  
  • Consult with patients and their families  
  • Administer medications and treatments  
  • Work with a health-care team  
  • Educate and inform about mental health illnesses, nutrition, self-care, medication management, disease prevention and promotion of health to patients/clients, families and caregivers 
  • Advocate for health-care improvements  
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To practice as a registered psychiatric nurse in British Columbia, you must meet the registration requirements set out by the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM). Please note that registration processes are different depending on where you’ve been trained.

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  • Hospitals
  • Primary care clinics
  • Community health centers
  • Extended care facilities
  • Rehabilitation centers
  • Correction services
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Health authority employers offer comprehensive compensation packages for regular-status employees, including employer-paid benefits:

  • Wages: $41.42 – $59.52 CAD per hour (as of April 1, 2024)  
  • Paid Vacation Time: 4 weeks per year, after first year of employment  
  • Defined Benefit Public Pension Plan (Municipal or Public Service Pension Plan) 
  • BC Medical Services Plan (MSP)  
  • Extended Health Care  
  • Dental Coverage  
  • Life Insurance  
  • Short-Term and Long-Term Disability  
  • Employee and Family Assistance Plan  
  • Other Benefits: such as maternity, paternity and adoption leaves  
  • Relocation assistance may be available for many nursing jobs. Please speak with health authorities directly for more information  
  • Additional incentives may be available for rural and remotely located employees  
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  • Canadian nurses with insufficient recent practice hours may need to meet to take a competency assessment. They might also need to take training before being able to get their registration re-instated. 
  • Visit the BCCNM website for information on how to re-instate nursing registration.  
  • Bursaries may be available for eligible Canadian nurse applicants seeking to return to practice. For more information, please visit Nursing Jobs BC. 
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B.C. news for registered psychiatric nurses

Helping more nurses practice in B.C., faster

Too many barriers have prevented many nurses from entering or returning to work in the health-care system. Removing these obstacles means more nurses can work in the field they love, and people in B.C. can get better access to the health-care they deserve.

Learn more about helping more nurses practice in B.C., faster

Supporting international nurses into B.C.’s health system

To meet the increasing demand for nurses in British Columbia, the Province is making it easier for eligible internationally educated nurses (IENs) to enter the province’s health system so they can support British Columbians’ health-care needs sooner.

Learn more about how B.C. is supporting IENs