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). There may be some flexibility with the start date and duration, particularly for applicants who have secured their own funding.

We're please 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.

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, chronic pain, research, and other placements.
• The program also encourages didactic learning experiences through a two-week academic block, journal clubs, research and presentation skills development, clinical and research skills workshops, and lectures with interdisciplinary trainees (e.g., medicine, social work, and nursing practitioner).
• There is flexibility in rotations based on experience and individual learning objectives.
• Each Fellow’s rotations are tailored to learning objectives that are set with the Program Director.
• A description of some of the training rotations can be found below.

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 Nursing Professionals. Nurse practitioners can apply for the Addiction Nurse Practitioner Fellowship. Applicants who are currently in Master’s or Doctoral programs and/or bring their own funding will be prioritized.

FELLOWSHIP CORE ROTATIONS

APPLY

Application Timeline for the 2022-2023 Addiction Nursing Fellowship:

• September 1, 2021: Application process opens
• November 1, 2021: Application deadline
• November 22, 2021 to December 17, 2021: Interview period
• January 10, 2022: Acceptance notification
• January 24, 2022: Deadline for acceptance
• July 4, 2022: Fellowship begins

Please note: While the Fellowship is envisioned to be begin July 4, 2022, there may be some flexibility with the start date, particularly for applicants who bring their own funding.

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 the Fellowship Program Assistant, Adrina Halket: [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 Skype.

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

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.

From its inception in 2007, members of the Division of AIDS at the University of British Columbia have been involved in various areas of research in the area of HIV treatment and prevention. The Division places considerable emphasis on treating and preventing HIV infection among intravenous drug users.

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. For more information about the BCCSU, please click here.

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.