Coordinator, In-hospital Organ Donation
BC Transplant
Vancouver, BC
The In-Hospital Organ Donation Coordinator acts as on-site hospital resource for all aspects of organ donation and is responsible for implementation, within the hospital setting, of an effective donation program. This includes: facilitating the incorporation of the donation philosophy and process into end-of-life care within the hospital, ensuring the option of donation is offered appropriately to every BC resident, supporting families through the donation process by enabling them to make an informed decision and striving to provide a positive and meaningful donation experience, assisting the healthcare provider team in the management of the deceased donor, coordinating many aspects of the donation process including suitability assessment of organs for transplantations and facilitation of on-site surgical recovery of organs, providing donor family support following a donation case, supporting the work of the hospital’s Donation Committee, raising awareness of donation issues, and contributing to continuous quality improvement by collecting and reporting data, and providing on-going education to the hospital community.
The job involves three overall dimensions: clinical dimension, involving guiding the medical management of the deceased donor and detailed review and interpretation of relevant medical/social data; support dimension, involving empathic listening and response to a variety of people experiencing grief and related emotional trauma; and an educational and quality improvement dimension, primary role of the work of the In-hospital Organ Donation Coordinator. As an integral part of the organ procurement team, the In-hospital Organ Donation Coordinator participates in a 24-hour call rotation.
Duties/Accountabilities:
Scope and Complexity
Decisions made by this position impact the accuracy, reliability and acceptability of further processes within the BCT and the assigned hospital, affect the well-being of hospital staff, donor families and waitlisted transplant candidates, and affect the delivery of donation services to the assigned hospital and province-wide. On-going progress reviews are provided to both the BCT supervisor and the hospital liaison, with more extensive consultation with the BCT supervisor required to discuss issues that affect the feasibility and/or effectiveness of meeting the position's objectives.
Physically situated within the assigned hospital, the position possesses inherent challenges by virtue of being an external non-contract clinical placement within a healthcare facility. In conjunction with the Director, Organ Donation and the assigned hospital liaison, the In-hospital Coordinator develops and implements programs to facilitate implementation of the hospital's Organ Donation Program. Guided by relevant policies, protocols, standards of practice within the BCT and the assigned hospital, the In-hospital Coordinator is self-directed in the support and evaluation of hospital Donation Program goals and objectives.
Communications
The position requires compassionate, dedicated and professional leadership skills. As a representative of the BCT and the ‘face’ of organ donation within the hospital, the In-hospital Organ Donation Coordinator is required to establish effective working relationships within the multi-disciplinary hospital environment. This requires communication with peers and support-service providers at the BCT, and with hospital clients: donor families, critical care nursing and medicine, transplant surgery and anesthesia, providers of diagnostic services, committee members, and allied healthcare providers within the hospital setting. This communication consists of listening to others, exchanging and conveying information, clarifying information by asking and answering questions; influencing donation stakeholders to bring about a change in their actions or thoughts through persuasion by exchanging factual information; acting as a resource to the assigned hospital and consulting to clients within the assigned hospital by providing professional advice and formal instruction regarding best practice protocols and guidelines; reviewing cases and compiling, analyzing and presenting data for the purposes of education and quality improvement; and negotiating and facilitating consensus within the donation and transplantation stakeholder community.
What you’ll do
- Provide donation case management by providing consultation, guidance and advice on practice issues to hospital staff including physicians, nurses, social workers and pastoral care staff, as the hospital resource on organ donation; acting as a clinical resource for the attending care team, following brain death, with regard to optimal maintenance of the potential donors to ensure maximization of organ potential; and ensuring documentation and fulfillment of legal, ethical and medical criteria for organ retrieval including brain death and consent for organ donation. Organize investigative screening procedures and diagnostic tests with laboratories, agencies and hospital departments; provide such information to transplant programs as to enable organ acceptance and allocation; arrange for on-site surgical organ recovery by maintaining communication links between donor care providers, and the recovery and transplant teams; and participate in de-briefings and case reviews, providing follow-up information to the attending healthcare staff regarding outcomes of the donation case.
- Support families through the donation process by meeting with families of potential organ donors in the hospital setting for the purpose of providing them with information regarding organ donation and enabling them to make an informed donation consent decision; attending to the family’s need for support and information regarding the donation process; and providing follow-up support to the donor family, in accordance with the BCT Donor Family Support Program.
- Provide ongoing education and contribute to quality improvement by delivering and evaluating training/education programs to staff in the assigned hospital in order to incorporate the donation process into the hospital’s end-of-life care and to establish and maintain a consistent standard of practice related to organ donation; acting as an organ donation awareness resource within the hospital community by providing information about the hospital’s Organ Donation Program; participating in de-briefings and case reviews, providing follow-up information to the attending healthcare staff regarding evaluation of the donor identification and referral processes; and contributing to research and quality improvement activities by collecting, analyzing and reporting data related to the hospital’s Organ Donation Program.
- Participate in training and on-going professional development within the relevant areas of practice and train and monitor other team members as required.
- Perform other related duties as assigned to support the mission, vision, and values of the BCT and the hospital’s Organ Donation Program.
What you bring
Qualifications
- A level of education, training and experience equivalent to a Bachelors degree in a Health Sciences Program
- Five (5) years of critical care or organ donation experience
- Certification or equivalent experience in the education of public and health-care personnel.
- Designation as a healthcare professional in the critical care setting (nursing, respiratory therapy, social work, Physician's Assistant, Nurse Practitioner) preferred.
- Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the historic and ongoing impacts of settler colonialism and systemic racism on Indigenous Peoples within social and health contexts. This includes understanding how these factors contribute to current health disparities and barriers to care. Show a clear commitment to identifying, challenging, and eradicating Indigenous-specific racism and all forms of discrimination impacting equity-deserving groups within healthcare settings. This involves recognizing personal biases, institutional barriers, engaging in anti-racism education and training and advocating for systemic change.
- Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of legislative obligations and provincial commitments within BC Transplant contexts found in the foundational documents including Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study, BC Human Rights Code, Anti-racism Data Act and how they intersect across the health care system.
Core Competencies
- Brings an understanding of the Indigenous specific racism and the broader systemic racism that exists in the colonial health care structure, and has demonstrated leadership in breaking down barriers and ensuring an environment of belonging. Embed Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility into all aspects of work. This means creating an environment where Indigenous patients feel respected, valued, and understood. Foster trust through respectful communication, active listening, and honoring equity-deserving people's perspectives on health and wellness. Commit to ongoing education and training on Indigenous health issues, cultural safety, and DEI principles. Participate in workshops, cultural immersion experiences, and continuous professional development to stay informed and responsive to equity-deserving groups. Provide patient-centred care that respects Indigenous ways of knowing and healing, respects BIPOC experiences and world views ensuring that care plans are culturally relevant and holistic.
- Knowledge of social, economic, political and historical realities of settler colonialism on Indigenous Peoples and familiarity with addressing Indigenous-specific anti-racism, anti-racism and Indigenous Cultural Safety and foundational documents and legislative commitments (The Declaration Act, the Declaration Action Plan, TRC, IPS, Remembering Keegan, etc.).
Skills & Knowledge
- Demonstrated skills in conflict resolution in the healthcare setting.
- Demonstrated competence in the areas of program planning and implementation in a multi-disciplinary context.
- Demonstrated ability to establish effective relationships with diverse stakeholders.
- The ability to withstand regular periods of intense activity, including performing work requiring simultaneous processing of information with multiple interruptions, and periods of concentrated listening.
- Demonstrated ability to stay calm, composed and focused under extremely emotional and tense conditions, to be empathic to the needs of families and healthcare professionals undergoing emotional trauma, sensitive to spiritual and cultural contexts of care, and interact effectively with individuals who are enduring personal trauma and grief.
- The successful candidate is able to recognize and maintain appropriate boundaries between the traumatic events, the people involved, and their personal life.
- Comprehensive knowledge of adult education principles and methods.
- Highly motivated, self-directed with excellent organizational skills.
- The successful candidate is able to function collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and verbal and written communications, including confidence in public speaking.
- Experience working in the standard suite of office computer programs.
- Fluency in a language other than English an asset.
- Demonstrates a commitment to beginning and continuing their personal learning journey related to Indigenous-specific racism and dismantling systems of oppression, as well as addressing racism more broadly. Shows willingness to articulate and share their learning experiences to contribute to a culture of motivation and inspiration among peers.
- Demonstrates foundational knowledge of the social, economic, and political realities of settler-colonialism and its impacts on Indigenous peoples and equity-deserving groups within social and health contexts. Understands the impact of social determinants of health-on-health outcomes. Shows a commitment to learning about and upholding legislative obligations and provincial commitments outlined in foundational documents such as the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan, Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study, the BC Human Rights Code, Anti-Racism Data Act, and the Distinctions Based Approach
What we bring
Every PHSA employee enables the best possible patient care for our patients and their families. Whether you are providing direct care, conducting research, or making it possible for others to do their work, you impact the lives of British Columbians today and in the future. That’s why we’re focused on your care too – offering health, wellness, development programs to support you – at work and at home.
- Join one of BC’s largest employers with province-wide programs, services and operations – offering vast opportunities for growth, development, and recognition programs that honour the commitment and contribution of all employees.
- Access to professional development opportunities through our 2,000+ in-house courses including a range of experience level, profession-specific, or other essential training on Indigenous Cultural Safety; Indigenous-specific anti-racism; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and accessibility, mental health and well-being, and more.
- Enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including municipal pension plan, and psychological health & safety programs and holistic wellness resources.
- Annual statutory holidays (13) with generous vacation entitlement and accruement.
- PHSA is a remote work friendly employer, welcoming flexible work options to support our people (eligibility may vary, depending on position).
- Access to WorkPerks, a premium discount program offering a wide range of local and national discounts on electronics, entertainment, dining, travel, wellness, apparel, and more.
Job Type: Regular, Full-time
Salary Range: $90,770 - $130,481. The starting salary for this position would be determined with consideration of the successful candidate’s relevant education and experience, and would be in alignment with the provincial compensation reference plan. Salary will be prorated accordingly for part time roles.
Location: 1770 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6J 4Y6
Hours of Work: Rotating; 0800 – 1600 plus on call
Requisition # 202174E
What we do
BC Transplant (BCT) provides oversight for all aspects of organ donation and transplantation across BC. BC Transplant is part of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).
PHSA plans, manages and evaluates specialized health services with the BC health authorities to provide equitable and cost-effective health care for people throughout the province. Our values reflect our commitment to excellence and include: Respect people – Be compassionate – Dare to innovate – Create equity – Be courageous.
Learn more about PHSA and our programs: jobs.phsa.ca/programs-and-services
PHSA and BCT are committed to employment equity, encouraging all qualified individuals to apply. We recognize that our ability to provide the best care for our diverse patient populations relies on a rich diversity of skills, knowledge, background and experience, and value a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment.
One of PHSA’s North Star priorities is to eradicate Indigenous-specific racism, which includes ongoing commitments to Indigenous recruitment and employee experience as well as dismantling barriers to health care employment at every level. We welcome Indigenous individuals to apply and/or contact the Sanya’k̓ula Team (Indigenous Recruitment & Employee Experience) for support at [email protected].
Indigenous-specific anti-racism initiatives are rooted in addressing the unique forms of discrimination, historical and ongoing injustices, and exclusion faced by Indigenous peoples. These initiatives align with an Indigenous rights-based approach, recognizing the inherent rights and title of BC First Nations and self-determination of all First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. PHSA is mandated to uphold legislative obligations and provincial commitments found in the foundational documents including the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study.
Attention current employees of PHSA:
You must apply via your internal profile at http://internaljobs.phsa.ca.
The internal job posting expires on August 5, 2026 and will no longer be accessible. If the internal job posting has expired, please e-mail [email protected] with the six-digit job requisition number and your PHSA employee ID number to be considered as a late internal applicant. Please do not apply for the external job posting.
If you have not yet set up an internal profile, please e-mail [email protected] with your PHSA employee ID number to obtain your temporary password. Our business hours are Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm, excluding Statutory Holidays and a Help Desk Representative will respond to you with 1-2 business days.
If you are not a current employee of PHSA and require assistance with your application, please contact the External Careers team at [email protected].
