Registered nurses

In British Columbia, registered nurses (RNs) help care for people in hospitals, clinics, and community health centres. RNs work as part of a health-care team to help patients care for their health and provide treatment options.

About registered nurses

Registered nurses (RNs) in British Columbia are regulated health-care professionals who provide safe, person-centred care by assessing health needs, planning and delivering care, and working collaboratively within the health-care system to support the well-being of individuals and communities.

  • Assess patients and identify treatment options with a health care team 
  • Monitor changes in a patient’s health 
  • Administer medications and treatments  
  • Operate medical equipment and ensure it works properly 
  • Coordinate with other health services and providers to ensure continuity of care  
  • Educate and inform patients and their caregivers/family about disease prevention and promotion  
  • Consult with patients and their families  
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To practice as a registered 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 centres
  • Extended care facilities
  • Rehabilitation centres
  • Correction services
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Health authority employers offer comprehensive compensation packages for regular-status employees, including employer-paid benefits such as: 

  • 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
  • Potential for employer-supported post-grad education, e.g. Specialty Nursing 
  • 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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There’s never been a better time to join B.C.’s public health system

British Columbia has welcomed many people from diverse backgrounds in our communities, coming for all types of health care positions. 

Come to B.C. to experience welcoming communities, supportive work environments, competitive compensation, and nature, right at your doorstep.

Descriptive video transcript

Video title: BC Health Careers – Practicing as a nurse in British Columbia

[Describer] Clips of Shelly working with colleagues, then talking on-screen. 

[Shelly] When I first came to British Columbia, my plan was to stay here for a one-year travel contract, and that was 20 years ago. 

[Text] Shelly, Nurse and Patient Care Coordinator RN, BSN 

[Shelly] It’s a very long contract [chuckles]. 

[Describer] A view of Vancouver skyrises along Sunset Beach. 

[Narrator] British Columbia has appealed to internationally trained healthcare professionals for decades. Shelly moved from Australia to Vancouver.  

[Text] 13,320 km to BC 

[Narrator] Now she’s a veteran of working in our patient-centered universal healthcare system. 

[Describer] Clips of Shelly working. 

[Text] Patient-centred universal health care. 

[Describer] Clips of Shelly talking on-screen, working with colleagues using different machines, speaking with other nurses. 

[Shelly] I was looking for the most similar healthcare system to what I was working in Australia, and the Canadian healthcare system seemed to be the most similar. I actually moved back to Australia after a year and then realised that what I had in my ICU at Surrey, the family, the benefits packages, the wages, the opportunities for growth in my career, people I started working with, solidified where I should be. During the 20 years of being at the hospital I’m in, at Surrey, they’ve provided me with opportunities to become an educator, clinical nurse educator of the ICU or a nurse clinician. I was a manager of an oncology unit and a 48-bed medical unit for six months. I was an after-hours manager. So now a PCC, which is the patient care coordinator. So about six jobs in 20 years, but all opportunities I probably would not have elsewhere. 

[Text] All opportunities I probably would not have elsewhere. 

[Describer] Visuals of nurses working together, cars driving along the highway with a blurred rearview mirror in the foreground, Shelly driving in a rural area. 

[Narrator] Nurses are supported by interprofessional teams and regulatory organizations like the BC College of Nurses and Midwives to maintain clear standards. And the province is one of the first jurisdictions in Canada to implement minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. 

[Describer] Clips of Shelly talking on-screen, then playing basketball and spending time with her family. 

[Shelly] There’s now a program called HealthMatch BC that can help, and it’s very quick and efficient to get your application in. When I first moved here, I didn’t actually know anybody at all. So the people I went to work with became friends, they’ve come so close as family.  

[Describer] Shelly spending time with colleagues, then talking on-screen. 

[Shelly] One of them we’ve travelled the world with. One of them was my bridesmaid. I’ve been in the same unit in the same hospital for 20 years. And it’s mainly because of the people and the colleagues I have to work with. 

[Describer] Visuals of Shelly laughing with colleagues, enjoying time in nature, talking on-screen, and holding her dog. 

[Narrator] British Columbia recently streamlined the process to help nurses get settled and start working with their teams sooner. For Shelley and many others, the decision to move in the reception within British Columbia has been positive. 

[Shelly] Take that opportunity. You never know where it will take you. It will be hard for the first few months, but the people you get to work with and the patients you get to care for will make you probably stay for the rest of your life. 

[Text] Connect with a Health Recruitment Specialist. 

B.C. news for registered nurses

British Columbia is taking action to attract doctors, nurses from U.S.

The Province is taking new steps to attract more doctors and nurses from the U.S. by fast-tracking credential recognition and launching a co-ordinated, targeted recruitment campaign.

Learn more about B.C. taking action to attract doctors and nurses from the U.S.

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