Acute Care Physical Therapist
Paramus, New Jersey
The Valley Hospital

PT Acute Care Hospital

Location: Paramus, New Jersey Specialty: Therapy/Rehabilitation Employment Type: Travel/Contract Contract Length: 16 weeks

Assignment Overview

• Acute care adult rehab physical therapy need
• Hospital-based, serving geriatric populations, including cardiac, neurology, oncology, orthopedics, and critical care patients

Schedule

• Day shift, 5 x 8 hours (8:00 to 16:30)
• Monday through Friday, no weekends
• 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week

Required Qualifications

• Valid Physical Therapist license in New Jersey

Clinical Competencies and Exams

• Core Competency Exams (Parts I, II, and III) for all candidates: 80% passing score required, updated annually
• Competency exam required for the relevant department, updated annually, minimum score of 80%
• Orientation safety manual acknowledgement required
• Unit-specific skills checklist required

Onboarding and Compliance

Time-sensitive (complete within 72 hours of signing contract):

• Physical exam signed by an MD, DO, PA, or NP (APRN accepted), stating the candidate is in good health, free from communicable diseases, and has no physical limitations to perform job duties (within 12 months of start)
• TB screening: annual Quantiferon Gold or T-spot within 6 months of hire, or 2-step PPD within 6 months (placements 7 days apart); a positive result requires a chest X-ray within 5 years and clearance before orientation
• Immunity documentation: measles (Rubeola), mumps, rubella, and varicella (2 MMR or 2 varicella doses, or a positive titer); hepatitis B surface antibody titer or declination
• Drug test: negative 9-panel within 30 days of start, no rapid tests, no pending screens

Other health requirements:

• Flu vaccine mandatory; religious or medical declinations not accepted (2026-27 season: candidates starting 9/15 or later must have it before clearance)
• N95 fit test required for clinical positions within 1 year of start (PAPR/CAPR not accepted)
• Tdap preferred, not required; declinations accepted
• Color blind test (Ishihara) within 1 year of assignment start

Background and verification:

• 7-year background check within 6 months of start, including sex offender, criminal, and federal exclusion searches (EPLS/GSA/SAM, HHS/OIG, OFAC), completed within 30 days of start
• Highest level of education verified, or diploma/transcript provided
• State license verification within 30 days prior to start
• Work history verification for the last 7 years, completed 2 Fridays before start; candidates cannot start with pending verifications
• Two references: one supervisory from within 12 months of start, and one professional from within 3 years
• Employment application with the last 7 years of employment, including explanations for any gaps over 30 days; full name with middle initial

Facility-specific:

• Self-learning module and post-test, must score 100% before start
• Time Out Policy training and signed attestation
• ID badge information provided during orientation