OVERVIEW & ELIGIBILITY

New nursing trainees are accepted into the program each year from a range of clinical and academic backgrounds. The program runs from July 1 to June 30 (one year). All fellows must be available for the first two weeks of July to attend an online academic block. There may be some flexibility with the start date and duration, particularly for applicants who have secured their own funding.

We're pleased to offer Fellowship opportunities with focused clinical rotations in the Interior, Vancouver Island (primarily in Victoria), Fraser Health, and the lower mainland. Applicants should indicate their preferred location in their letter of intent, along with a brief summary of why they would be a good fit for the program.

Fellowship Overview

• Fellows are accepted with a focus on clinical practice, nursing research, and/or leadership.
• The program encourages learning experiences in a variety of settings, including residential recovery, withdrawal management, inpatient, corrections, perinatal, primary care, chronic pain, research, and other placements.
• The program also encourages didactic learning experiences through a two-week academic block, monthly journal clubs, research and presentation skills development, 4 days of motivational interviewing training, and interdisciplinary academic half-days to enhance clinical and research skills.
• Mandatory courses include: The BCCSU Provincial Opioid Addiction Treatment Support Program (POATSP); Addiction Care and Treatment Online Course (ACTOC); Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS2 CORE) Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans; Indigenous Cultural Safety training.
• Fellows will complete a research or quality improvement project and present at the annual BCCSU Research Conference.
• Each fellow will prepare and present a “What’s New in Addiction Nursing” session.
• Clinical rotations are selected with the Fellow and Program Director based on experience and tailored to individual learning objectives. A description of some of the training rotations can be found below.
• Teaching/presenting at clinical rotations.

Eligibility

The BCCSU Addiction Nursing Fellowship accepts applications from registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses who are licensed to practice in BC through the BC College of Nurses and Midwives. Nurse practitioners can apply for the Addiction Nurse Practitioner Fellowship. Applicants who are currently in Master’s or Doctoral programs and/or have secured funding through their employer will be prioritized. All applicants are encouraged to contact the Program Director to discuss eligibility and funding options.

FELLOWSHIP CORE ROTATIONS

APPLY

Application Timeline for the 2023-2024 Addiction Nursing Fellowship:

• September 1, 2022: Application process opens
• November 1, 2022: Application deadline
• November 22, 2022 to December 17, 2022: Interview period
• February 15 - 22, 2023: Acceptance notification
• March 1, 2023: Deadline for acceptance of offer by applicant
• July 4, 2023: Fellowship begins

Please note: While the Fellowship is envisioned to begin July 4, 2022, some flexibility with start dates may be possible on a case-by-case basis.

Application Details
Interested candidates must submit an electronic copy of the following documentation:

1. Three (3) letters - two letters of reference and one letter of support (pdf preferred):
• One letter of reference should speak to the applicant’s clinical expertise and experience
• One letter of reference should speak to the applicant’s character, leadership, advocacy, etc.
• One letter of support should be from the applicant’s manager or supervisor and outline employer/organizational support for the applicant to complete the Fellowship program
2. A 700-word letter of intent, in letter format (pdf preferred) describing:
• The applicant’s background and preparation for the Fellowship to date
• The applicant’s learning objectives and any specific areas of clinical interest or research interest
• Why the applicant is interested in a career in the field of addictions, and
• How the applicant envisions their fellowship experience will support their future impacts within the system of addictions treatment and care.
In addition, please comment on any institutional support available, preference for 6-month full-time or 12-month part-time format, or if flexible.
3. A curriculum vitae

Please send an electronic copy of all application materials to [email protected]

Interviews
Interviews may be conducted with top candidates from each discipline shortly after the application deadline. Interviews may be in person, on the phone, or via Zoom.

General Inquiries
For further information about this Fellowship program, please contact us at [email protected]. For managers and supervisors, please feel free to reach out with questions pertaining to program funding and institutional support.

PROGRAM LEADERSHIP

Emma Garrod, RN, BScN, Director, BCCSU Director, BCCSU Addiction Nursing Fellowship

Nicole Cowan, RN, BSN, Interim Director, BCCSU Addiction Nursing Fellowship

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS

St. Paul’s Hospital at Providence Health Care is an acute care, academic, and research hospital located in downtown Vancouver. With over 500 acute care beds in use and home to many world-leading medical and surgical programs, the hospital serves both the local community and patients from across BC. Its downtown location brings many of Vancouver’s tourists and visitors to its doors. St. Paul’s also has a longstanding history of providing care to disadvantaged populations. For more information about St. Paul’s Hospital, please click here.

The BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) is a provincially networked resource with a mandate to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based approaches to substance use and addiction. The BCCSU focuses on three strategic areas: research and evaluation, education and training, and clinical care guidance. With the support of the province of British Columbia, the BCCSU hosts the largest interdisciplinary addiction medicine training program in North America, building capacity in the healthcare system in BC to improve access to evidence-based care. Although physically located in Vancouver, the BCCSU is a provincially networked resource for researchers, educators, and care providers, as well as people who use substances, family advocates, support groups, and the recovery community.

The University of British Columbia (UBC), established in 1908, is one of Canada’s leading research universities, consistently ranked among the top 40 in the world. The university attracts 54,000 students from across Canada and 140 countries around the world to two major campuses. For more information about UBC, please click here.

St. Paul’s Foundation raises funds to support compassionate world-class care, research, and teaching at St. Paul’s Hospital. The BCCSU Addiction Medicine Fellowship is a partnership between St. Paul’s Foundation, St. Paul’s Hospital, the BC Centre on Substance Use, and the UBC Division of AIDS. The program was launched with a $3 million landmark donation to St. Paul’s Foundation, gifted by Goldcorp, Inc. The Foundation continues to secure additional funding to support the program. For more information, or to donate, please click here.

Vancouver Coastal Health is a regional health authority providing direct and contracted health services including primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary care; home and community care; mental health services; population and preventive health; and addictions services in part of Greater Vancouver and the Coast Garibaldi area. For more information, please click here.