How to hire a physical therapy nurse

How to hire a physical therapy nurse, step by step

Here's a step-by-step physical therapy nurse hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a physical therapy nurse job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new physical therapy nurse
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a physical therapy nurse job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your physical therapy nurse job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a physical therapy nurse for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a physical therapy nurse to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a physical therapy nurse that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of physical therapy nurses.

   Type of Physical Therapy Nurse	Description	Hourly rate
   Physical Therapy Nurse	Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their family members.	$21-53
   Nurse Clinician	A nurse clinician is a health expert who provides care and assistance to patients in hospitals, clinics, or similar establishments. Among their responsibilities include preparing equipment and documents, administering medication, monitoring the patient's condition, maintaining charts, and regularly reporting to physicians... Show more	$23-42
   Registered Nurse Charge Nurse	A registered charge nurse is responsible for supervising nurses' workflow in a particular department or area, ensuring every patient gets the proper care that they need. A registered charge nurse has the discretion to direct tasks, arrange schedules, and monitor patients, such as in the aspects of admission and discharge... Show more	$22-52

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • BLS
   • Acls
   • IV Therapy
   • Direct Patient Care
   • Patient Education
   • CPR
   • Physical Therapy
   • EMR
   • Rehabilitation
   • PICC
   • Chemotherapy
   • Home Health
   • Medication Administration

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage fistulas and other draining wounds using creative intervention referring patients to appropriate community agencies.
   • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
   • Focus on traumatic brain injury, stroke rehabilitation.
   • Initiate the program for nurse assessment and placement of PICC lines for all inpatients.
   • Include pain management, chemotherapy administration, blood administration, routine peripheral and central access care, and night pharmacy backup.
   • Supervise and administer chemotherapy and blood products.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your physical therapy nurse job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A physical therapy nurse salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, physical therapy nurses' average salary in iowa is 50% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level physical therapy nurses earn 60% less than senior-level physical therapy nurses.
   • Certifications. A physical therapy nurse with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a physical therapy nurse's salary.

   Average physical therapy nurse salary

   $71,820yearly

   $34.53 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level physical therapy nurse salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

4. Writing a physical therapy nurse job description

   A physical therapy nurse job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a physical therapy nurse job description:

   Physical therapy nurse job description example

   *Introduction*
   
   We are seeking per diem registered nurses for a travel nurse opportunity. Candidate will be providing mobile IV therapies at patients location utilizing their personal vehicle.
   
   *Job Duties, Skills, Competence, & Misc*
   * Candidate will communicate remotely with company doctors and supervisors.
   * Candidate must be moderately tech savvy, customer service oriented, organized, willing to drive, and willing to buy supplies.
   * Candidate must be willing to build rapport and correspond with patient once connected by support team.
   * Candidate must be skilled in finding veins and establishing IV line in a comfortable manner.
   * LVNs and LPNs must have IV certification and will be limited to starting peripheral IV (only).
   * We *DO* accept religious exemption for COVID-19 related employment issues
   
   *Requirements*
   * Nurse license must be active and must have professional nursing liability insurance because this is a 1099 opportunity with tax incentives.
   * Must have personal transportation
   * Must be willing to purchase own supplies
   * Must be willing to drive 30 miles or less
   * Must be flexible with at least 3 days availability a week to see their own return on investment from leads we produce
   * Must have a sense of urgency as calls are sudden notice
   * *Must be available on weekends to see immediate return on investment*
   * *Must be able to communicate and be RESPONSIVE on chat application*
   * *Must be RELIABLE and have RELIABLE transportation*
   
   *Summary*
   
   This is an inside sales position that is commission only and can be very rewarding despite having to buy your own equipment ( you receive 100% tips & travel fees while receiving 50% service fees). We provide the patients requesting for therapy, marketing material to build a personalized referral base, equipment resources for you to source from, and you provide the amazing service within your service area and get paid weekly. You will be compensated on a weekly basis every Monday via direct deposit.
   
   *"If you have a hybrid or electric vehicle you will thrive!"*
   
   *Service Areas*
   * Arizona
   * California
   * Colorado
   * Florida
   * Louisiana
   * Texas
   
   *About Us*
   
   In Home Infusion is a startup company that has been growing since 2019 who's main purpose is to utilize technology as a means to provide efficient healthcare to the public. It is our mission to hire elite talent in health care professionals to provide an exceptional and fulfilling therapy experience to all of our patients while making sure our nurses are compensated adequately.
   
   Please send resumes to nurses[at]inhomeinfusion.com
   
   Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Contract, Per diem
   
   Pay: $2,500.00 - $10,000.00 per month
   
   Benefits:
   * Referral program
   Medical specialties:
   * Home Health
   Supplemental schedule:
   * On call
   
   COVID-19 considerations:
   Before entering any home, you will be aware whether or not they are positive for Covid-19. PPE will be required. It will not be required to see patients with Covid-19.
   
   Ability to commute/relocate:
   * Cedar Hill, TX 75104: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)
   
   Application Question(s):
   * Are you willing to purchase your entire supplies as a 1099 worker?
   
   License/Certification:
   * IV Certification (Required)
   * LPN (Required)
   * RN License (Required)
   
   Shift availability:
   * Day Shift (Preferred)
   * Night Shift (Preferred)
   * Overnight Shift (Preferred)
   
   Willingness to travel:
   * 100% (Preferred)
   
   Work Location: One location

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find physical therapy nurses for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your physical therapy nurse job on Zippia to find and recruit physical therapy nurse candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting physical therapy nurses requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new physical therapy nurse

   Once you've found the physical therapy nurse candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new physical therapy nurse first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a physical therapy nurse?