The Opportunity: Westminster House Retirement Community
We're Westminster House, and we've been caring for seniors in South Surrey for over 35 years.
Westminster House (westminster-house.org) is a 117-suite long term care (LTC) home in the Ocean Park neighbourhood of South Surrey (White Rock), BC. We are a family owned care home, not part of a corporate chain.
Our residents come to us through word of mouth. Families walk in, feel something different, and choose to stay. Our staff say the same thing. We have nurses and care aides who've been here for years, not because they couldn't go elsewhere, but because they built real relationships with the people they care for.
We offer a full campus of care: independent living, assisted living, and complex care unit for residents who require memory care. We have Red Seal chefs cooking nutritious delicious meals on-site, an activity team keeping residents engaged and a care team that genuinely cares.
We're now hiring casual Licensed Practical Nurses to join our small but mighty team.
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The Role: Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
As an LPN at Westminster House, you'll be the nurse on the unit. That means you're responsible for the residents and a team of 5 care aides per shift. You'll assess residents, administer medications, develop and update care plans, coordinate with families, and supervise your care team. Some shifts, everything runs smoothly. Other shifts, you'll have multiple residents needing attention at once, a family member at the desk with questions, your phone ringing, and a resident with dementia who is scared and in crisis because they don't understand what's happening.
Most of our residents have some form of dementia, at varying levels. That means you'll regularly work with people who can become confused, fearful, or aggressive. It's not personal. It's the disease. But it takes a nurse who understands that – who doesn't get intimidated, and who knows how to de-escalate with patience and calm – to really succeed in a role like this.
Westminster House is very different to a hospital rotation. Our patients don't come and go, so you'll get to know your residents deeply: their habits, their families, their histories. That's what makes life here so rewarding – you'll be providing care to the people who need it most, and get to learn so much about the amazing lives they've lived in the process. This role takes a special kind of person. If this sounds like something you're drawn to, keep reading.
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What You'll Do
- Own nursing care for your unit: assessments, medication administration, treatments, procedures, and documentation
- Assist the physician with examinations, diagnostic tests, and therapeutic measures
- Develop, implement, and regularly update written resident care plans in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team
- Supervise a team of 5 care aides per shift, providing direction, support, and feedback on care delivery
- Communicate with residents and their families about care, behavioural changes, and what to expect, especially around dementia-related behaviours
- De-escalate challenging situations calmly and confidently when residents become agitated, confused, or aggressive
- Monitor equipment and supplies, identify hazards, and report incidents using the proper documentation
- Step into the Nurse in Charge role when needed, including initiating emergency measures in the event of fire or disaster
- Participate in-service training, and ongoing professional development
- Contribute to care aide performance evaluations by providing objective observations to Resident Care Manager.
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What We're Looking For
- Current full practicing LPN licensure with BCCNM (College of Nurses of BC)
- Graduation from a recognized Practical Nursing program
- Located in the Greater Vancouver area (Surrey, White Rock, Delta, Langley, Richmond, or Vancouver) with reliable transportation to South Surrey. We're not on a major bus route, and one shift starts at 6:30 AM, so public transit can be difficult.
- Strong English communication skills, both written and verbal. You'll be documenting care plans, speaking with families during difficult moments, and coordinating with your team throughout every shift.
- Experience in long-term care, residential care, or assisted living. Our Director of Care strongly prefers candidates who understand the LTC environment, because it's genuinely different from hospital nursing.
- Experience working with dementia patients (e.g., in a memory care unit, long-term care home, or geriatric ward)
- 6+ months of experience as an LPN. Fresh graduates are welcome if you bring initiative and resilience. We've hired new grads who've thrived here because they showed up ready to learn and weren't afraid to jump in.
- Supervisory experience, even informally. You'll be leading care aides, so any experience directing, mentoring, or coordinating a team is valuable.
- Wound care training or certification
- Valid BC Driver's License. Not required, but helpful given the transit situation.
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Why This Role Is Different
- You're not a number here. Westminster House is independently. There is no corporate bureaucracy and managers have an open door policy. Staff who've worked at other homes say it feels different here, and it does.
- You'll build real relationships. In a hospital, patients come and go. Here, you'll know your residents by name, know their families, know their stories. The nurses who stay longest say that's the reason they stay.
- We'll be honest with you, and we need you to be honest with us. This is demanding work. We'd rather you read this and think "that's not for me" than start orientation and feel blindsided. But if you read this and feel something pull, that matters.
- Your work has dignity and weight. Our goal is to keep people comfortable, maintain their dignity, and give them the best quality of life we can in their final chapter. That's not small work. It's some of the most meaningful work there is.
A Workplace Where Employees are Truly Valued
- Our owners genuinely care about the people who work here. They show appreciation with an annual Holiday party, summer BBQs, and long-service recognition awards and gifts.
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Compensation & Benefits
- Pay: $32.81 to $41.35 per hour (BC Wage Leveling, based on experience)
- Union: BCGEU
- Location: In person, South Surrey, BC
- Benefits: For regular employees, we offer extended health care, dental care, life insurance, employee assistance program, paid time off, on-site parking, and discounted meals
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If you're an LPN who wants to do work that matters, in a place that feels like more than just a workplace, and you're not afraid of the hard parts, we'd like to hear from you.
Job Type: Casual
Pay: $32.81-$41.35 per hour
Expected hours: 37.0 – 40.0 per week
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
Experience:
- nursing: 1 year (required)
Licence/Certification:
Work Location: In person
