Physical Therapist (PT, DPT), Skilled Nursing & Post-Acute Care
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Hiring a physical therapist for skilled nursing and post-acute care means finding someone who can connect mobility assessment, daily treatment, and discharge planning across changing resident needs.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
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What does this hire really come down to?
We recruit PTs for employers whose caseloads combine short-stay rehabilitation with longer-term resident care. Your therapist may assess a new admission, revisit transfer safety, discuss progress with nursing, and complete documentation before leaving. We ask how candidates handle those decisions, not simply whether they have worked in a skilled nursing facility.
Clarify how the PT's caseload divides between rehabilitation admissions and ongoing resident reassessments. A short-stay caseload may involve frequent evaluations, caregiver teaching, and discharge recommendations. Long-term care adds reassessment when function changes and communication about assistance levels. Tell us whether the PT also supervises assistants, attends care conferences, or covers another building during the week.
An acute-care PT may bring strong discharge judgment while needing orientation to ongoing resident relationships. An outpatient orthopedic PT may need more support with cognitive impairment and nursing coordination. We ask candidates to explain the gaps they would need help closing.
What do we check before you see anyone?
License and practice authority: We review the state PT license or applicable PT Compact privilege. Ask which state authorizes practice at your building and what remains to be verified. Your employer completes its own credentialing and clinical assessment. Evaluation judgment: Ask, “When an admission arrives with incomplete mobility information, what do you clarify before setting the plan?”
- A useful answer distinguishes chart review, direct assessment, assistance needs, and questions for the care team.
- Treatment adjustment: Ask, “If a resident participates less than expected today, how do you investigate and document that change?” Listen for comparison with prior function, communication with nursing, and a clear account of the session.
- Discharge preparation: Ask, “How do you determine whether transfer training has carried over beyond therapy?” Look for observation, caregiver or staff feedback, and documentation of remaining assistance needs rather than a discharge date alone.
- Assistant supervision: Ask, “How do you communicate the treatment plan and respond when a PTA reports unexpected findings?” A useful answer explains supervision, reassessment, and communication within applicable state practice rules.
- Credentials and setting fit: ABPTS specialist certification, including OCS or NCS, is a plus, not a universal mandate. Ask how that training applies to your residents. A DPT degree or specialty credential does not establish skilled nursing experience.
These are recruiting discussions about experience and stated credentials, not a substitute for clinical assessment. Your organization completes formal credentialing, license and privilege checks, and the hiring decision.
Where do we find them, and why would they move?
We source from SNFs, hospitals, home health employers, and outpatient clinics. SNF candidates may know resident reassessment and care conferences. Hospital candidates may understand transitions after hospitalization. Home health candidates may bring practical insight into home access and caregiver support.
We test those strengths against your assignment.
CAPTE-accredited DPT programs also provide a source pool for employers prepared to support new graduates. An experienced PT might consider a move for a different caseload, commute, schedule, or supervisory arrangement. We ask what specifically attracts them and whether your opening offers it.
Which mistakes stall the search?
A common mistake is treating outpatient experience as interchangeable with SNF experience. Ask about dependent transfers, cognition, nursing communication, and documentation across repeated visits before deciding how much orientation the candidate needs. Another is leaving coverage between buildings unexplained. Describe travel, handoffs, evaluation responsibilities, and who handles urgent resident changes when the PT is elsewhere.
Hiring for productivity expectations without describing the workday. Explain documentation time, meetings, assistant supervision, and evaluation volume so candidates can discuss the assignment realistically.
How would we run the search for this opening?
Share your short-stay and long-term care mix, typical referral reasons, staffing structure, and discharge destinations. We screen credentials, work history, and fit through questions about evaluations, treatment changes, and discharge discussions. Compare shortlisted PTs through a resident case discussion. Explain equipment access and how nursing and therapy exchange changes in resident function.
Define the resident mix
We use those details to frame the search.
Compare relevant evidence
You review candidates against your clinical expectations, including any work sample or case discussion your assessment process includes.
Set the working expectations
Ask each candidate to explain assessment gaps, communication with nursing, and the evidence supporting discharge recommendations. Before an offer, clarify schedule, building coverage, supervision duties, orientation support, and documentation expectations. We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
Tell us the role and setting. We will discuss the work and terms with you before a search begins. There is no fixed shortlist or placement promise.
What happens next
- The initial conversation clarifies the work, location and search terms.
- Ivan or a senior team member will reach out soon.
- When we recommend someone, you get reasons for fit and open questions to assess. We support interviews and offer discussions.
- Fees.
- No upfront fee. Pay only if you hire, under the signed agreement.
- Exclusivity.
- Set out in the signed client agreement.
- Confidentiality.
- We agree the brief before outreach. This is not a promise of absolute anonymity.
- No hire.
- No hire means no fee on standard searches.
The role and the setting
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We tell you where qualified Physical Therapist (PT, DPT) are working in your area and what it takes to move them. No fee. No obligation.
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Does NCS or OCS certification outweigh SNF experience?
Certification alone does not demonstrate experience with resident reassessment or SNF discharge planning. Specialist training can add value, but ask for examples connecting it to your resident mix, daily treatment decisions, and communication with nursing or caregivers. Setting experience matters, but its meaning needs examination.
Can an outpatient orthopedic PT move into skilled nursing?
Yes, if your orientation addresses the differences and your assessment supports the move. Ask about assistance levels, cognitive barriers, team communication, and decisions involving residents whose function varies between visits.
Should we accept a new DPT graduate for this caseload?
Consider the available clinical support and the graduate's relevant rotations. Ask who will review difficult evaluations and provide feedback when discharge recommendations or resident changes raise questions.
What should we ask about care conferences?
Ask how the PT explains current function, remaining barriers, and realistic discharge needs. A useful answer shows how they distinguish observed progress from an expectation that has not yet been demonstrated.
How should we describe a role supervising PTAs?
Identify the assistant team, communication process, and time available for supervision and reassessment. Ask candidates how they respond when a PTA reports a change that warrants the PT's review.
What should you send us about this role?
Send us the role, where the person will work and what needs to change with this hire. We will ask about the work, not just the title. Share any license or schedule limits that could rule someone out before we begin the search.
Tell us about your residents, building coverage, and therapy team. We can help you compare PT candidates against the work your opening actually involves.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What happens next
- The initial conversation clarifies the work, location and search terms.
- Ivan or a senior team member will reach out soon.
- When we recommend someone, you get reasons for fit and open questions to assess. We support interviews and offer discussions.
- Fees.
- No upfront fee. Pay only if you hire, under the signed agreement.
- Exclusivity.
- Set out in the signed client agreement.
- Confidentiality.
- We agree the brief before outreach. This is not a promise of absolute anonymity.
- No hire.
- No hire means no fee on standard searches.
What happens beyond the introduction?
We explain our recommendation in writing and flag what your team still needs to assess. We gather interview feedback, resolve practical questions and support offer discussions. The goal is the right person for the work, not simply a shortlist.
Read the full six-step search process · Compare recruiting models
What are the fee and payment terms?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. The signed agreement sets the fee and when it is due, along with the placement terms. We agree those terms before the search starts and before any candidate introductions. Temporary or contract coverage is a separate arrangement.
How long will it take to see a short list?
That depends on the job, schedule, available people, and what your employer can offer. We discuss those constraints before outreach and update you as candidates respond. We do not promise a fixed shortlist date. We check the job brief before arranging interviews. Tell us which parts of the role you can change.
What if a candidate receives a counteroffer?
We ask why the person wants to move and discuss competing decisions before an offer. A counteroffer can still change their choice. Keep the duties and offer clear rather than assuming more money settles every concern. Tell us early if parts of your offer cannot change, so the candidate hears it from us first.
What are the replacement terms?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement. Ask us to walk through those terms before you sign, so you know how a replacement would work for your opening and who would start it.
What do we not do in a standard permanent search?
We do not bill standard contingency search by the hour or simply repost your job. Temporary coverage is a separate arrangement. Any retainer or different engagement must be agreed, not assumed. Tell us early if you need coverage while the permanent search runs.