Finding a job
Where nurse jobs are actually posted, how the internal-vs-external split really works, and how many sites you need to check in each province.
How nurse hiring works: internal vs external
In every province, nursing jobs are covered by a union collective agreement. When a vacancy opens, it's posted for a fixed number of days and current staff (internal candidates) get first consideration. Outside (external) applicants — which includes most internationally educated nurses — are reached only if the job can't be filled from within.
Key fact
It's one timed posting with internal-first priority — not a two-stage “internal-only, then re-posted externally” process. A posting typically runs for roughly 7 to 10 days, and only becomes available to outside applicants if it can't be filled by a qualified nurse already in the bargaining unit.
Good to know
Verified posting periods from the master agreements: Alberta (UNA) 10 calendar days; Ontario (ONA Hospital Central) 7 consecutive calendar days; Nova Scotia (NSCNU) 10 calendar days for permanent positions (5 for Long Assignments). These are single posting windows with internal-first priority.
Needs verification
You may hear a specific “jobs are internal-only for X business days, then go external” number. That formulation isn't in the master collective agreements — don't rely on a specific internal-only figure unless you confirm it against the exact employer and their agreement.
How many job sites do you need to check?
This is the part that trips people up: in some provinces one site covers everything, and in others you have to check several separate boards or you'll miss jobs.
Heads up
In British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and New Brunswick, checking one board is not enough — jobs are spread across several regional authorities or agency portals. Alberta is especially fragmented right now because it's mid-restructuring. Check every board listed for your province below.
Good to know
In Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador, one provincial authority site effectively covers the whole province. Ontario has a province-wide board (HFOJobs) but many hospitals also post on their own sites, so check both.
Good to know
Some portals — Health Match BC, Ontario's HFOJobs, and the Saskatchewan Health Authority — ask you to create a profile or log in before you can see the full list of jobs. That's normal; it isn't a paywall.
Where to apply, by province
Each province's verified external job boards and its central recruitment or IEN navigation service. Tap a province to expand.
British Columbia Several sites
Five regional health authorities plus a provincial recruitment service — check the central service and each authority.
Start here
- Health Match BC — the province's free, government-funded central recruitment service, with a dedicated navigation team for internationally educated nurses.
- Nursing Jobs BC and BC Health Careers — IEN-facing information sites.
Regional authority boards
- Fraser Health (runs a New Entrant Program for IENs)
- Interior Health
- Island Health
- Northern Health
- Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA)
- First Nations Health Authority
IEN support: BC announced roughly $9 million in bursaries expected to help about 1,500 IENs with application and assessment fees. Internal vs external: governed by the BC Nurses' Union agreement; no specific internal-only window is publicly published.
Alberta Several sites
Alberta is splitting its single health authority into sector agencies, so postings are now spread across several portals.
- Alberta Health Services careers — still the largest board.
- Recovery Alberta — mental health & addictions nursing.
- Acute Care Alberta — postings appear under the same AHS career system.
- Covenant Health (faith-based provider) posts separately.
Heads up
This restructuring is mid-flight — more than 16,000 staff have moved to new agencies since late 2023. Check AHS, Recovery Alberta, Acute Care Alberta, and Covenant Health, and expect further change.
IEN support: the AHS International Applicants page, a Transitional Graduate Nurse Program, and a Nurse Mentorship Network. Internal vs external (verified): UNA agreement Article 14 — vacancies posted at least 10 calendar days, filled from within the bargaining unit first.
Manitoba Several sites
A shared Winnipeg board plus several separate regional boards.
- Health Careers Manitoba — provincial info/recruitment portal.
- WRHA careers board — covers Winnipeg RHA, Shared Health, CancerCare Manitoba, and Southern Health–Santé Sud.
- Prairie Mountain Health
- Interlake-Eastern RHA
- Northern Health Region
- Shared Health
Internal vs external: Northern Health Region explicitly publishes a separate “internal job opportunities” section for positions open to current employees only — a clear example of the split. The exact internal window isn't published; confirm with the employer.
New Brunswick Several sites
Two health authorities, and the language of service differs — check both.
- Horizon Health Network — anglophone-managed, 12 hospitals.
- Vitalité Health Network — the only Francophone-managed authority in Canada.
- NB Health Jobs — provincial aggregator covering both authorities.
Internal vs external: governed by the New Brunswick Nurses' Union (NBNU) agreement; no specific internal-only window is publicly published.
Ontario Central board + hospitals
A province-wide board covers most jobs, but hospitals are independent employers and many also post on their own sites.
- HFOJobs — Ontario Health's free province-wide board for nursing and health-profession jobs across hundreds of hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities.
- Individual hospital career sites — check the specific hospital(s) you're targeting.
Internal vs external (verified): ONA Hospital Central Agreement Article 10.07 — permanent vacancies posted for 7 consecutive calendar days, directed first at nurses in the ONA bargaining unit. Local hospital appendices may add detail.
Saskatchewan One main site
One provincial authority covers most of the province.
- Saskatchewan Health Authority careers, with recruitment info at healthcareersinsask.ca.
- The Saskatchewan Healthcare Recruitment Agency (SHRA) leads recruitment and assigns a dedicated SHA Navigator to guide candidates.
- Note: the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency and Athabasca Health Authority are separate, smaller employers.
Internal vs external: governed by the SAHO/SUN agreement; the specific internal window isn't publicly published.
Nova Scotia One main site
One external careers site for Nova Scotia Health and IWK Health.
- jobs.nshealth.ca — the external careers site (“External Login”).
- More Than Medicine — recruitment info.
Good to know
NSH has a dedicated International Recruitment team (internationalrecruitment@nshealth.ca) and warns that it does not work with paid third-party recruitment agencies — you don't need to pay an agent to apply.
Internal vs external (verified): NSCNU agreement Article 12 — permanent postings run a minimum of 10 calendar days, and only postings that can't be filled by a qualified nurse in the bargaining unit become available outside it.
Prince Edward Island One main site
One provincial employer, applied to through the government jobs portal.
- Health Jobs PEI — Health PEI's recruitment info site.
- JobsPEI — the actual application portal for Health PEI and Government of PEI jobs.
IEN support: Health PEI has a Recruitment and Retention Secretariat and a Nursing Transition to Practice program. Internal vs external: governed by the Health PEI / PEI Nurses' Union agreement; the specific internal window isn't publicly published.
Newfoundland & Labrador One main site
One provincial authority (organized into five geographic zones, but a single applicant system).
- WorkInHealthNL — recruitment info and incentives; recruiters typically respond within 2–3 business days.
- NL Health Services careers — create a profile and apply.
Internal vs external: governed by the Registered Nurses' Union NL (RNUNL) agreement; the specific internal window isn't publicly published.