JobsAdvocate Health

Physical Therapist- Acute Care Peds Per Diem

Advocate Health · Oak Lawn, IL

Posted Sep 7, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Tell me about a time you had to adjust a treatment plan quickly because a child's condition changed during a session.

clinical judgment under changing conditions and comfort recognizing when a plan of care needs revision

Tell me about a discharge you planned that involved coordinating equipment, home programs, and outside services all at once.

organizational skill and follow-through on the full discharge process, not just the clinical exercises

Describe a case where a child's psychosocial state, maybe fear or anxiety, got in the way of treatment. What did you do?

whether the candidate treats the whole child, not just the physical impairment

How do you keep yourself current on pediatric-specific practice given that this role doesn't require prior experience?

commitment to ongoing learning and honesty about scope of pediatric expertise coming in

Technical

Walk me through how you'd evaluate a pediatric patient who was just referred to you post-surgery, someone you've never met, in an acute inpatient setting.

whether the candidate has a real evaluation framework across the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiopulmonary domains rather than a generic checklist

How do you approach treating a toddler versus a teenager, given how different their development stages are?

depth of knowledge of growth and development across the pediatric age span, which the posting explicitly calls out

What's your process for keeping documentation, billing, and productivity numbers current when your caseload is heavy?

whether the candidate treats documentation and productivity standards as part of the job, not an afterthought

How do you handle a physical transfer or repositioning of a patient who's too heavy or too fragile to move alone?

awareness of safe patient handling technique and willingness to ask for help when needed, given the lifting and sliding transfer demands listed

What modalities and equipment are you comfortable with, and how do you learn a new piece of equipment when you rotate into a different unit?

technical range and self-directed learning ability, important for someone covering multiple sites or units as a per diem

Situational

A family is anxious and pushing back on a discharge plan you believe is appropriate. How do you handle that conversation?

communication skill with families under stress and ability to hold a clinical position without damaging trust

How do you decide what to delegate to a PT assistant or a rehab tech, and how do you stay accountable for that patient's plan of care?

understanding of supervision boundaries and legal responsibility when using extenders

Since this is a per diem role covering weekends and holidays, tell me about a time you stepped into a unit or caseload you weren't fully familiar with.

adaptability and willingness to work with less continuity, which is the core reality of a per diem schedule

Tell me about a time you disagreed with a physician's referral or plan for a patient. What did you do?

professional judgment and how the candidate manages disagreement with another provider while keeping the patient's interest central

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Advocate Health.

Department: 37600 Advocate Lutheran General Hospital - Pediatrics: I/P Acute Therapy Status: Part time Benefits Eligible: No Hou rs Per Week: 0 Schedule Details/Additional Information: Weekends, Holidays, SPTO, LOAs Pay Range: $41.10 - $61.65 Major Responsibilities: Interprets physician referrals, as appropriate, and completes musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiopulmonary, and/or integumentary evaluations utilizing appropriate methods. Establishes a plan of care and implements individual treatment based on evaluation results and functional goals and by utilizing appropriate techniques.  Monitors and evaluates outcomes and appropriately adjusts the individualized treatment plan based on the patient's response to treatment and provides status updates to physicians and other teammates. Identifies factors affecting patient's physical and psychosocial comfort and attends to these needs.    Plans for and completes patient discharge including providing written home programs, patient/family teaching, referral for community services, transition planning within the continuum of care and ordering equipment as indicated/appropriate. Communicates and collaborates with appropriate stakeholders to assist in achieving optimum care for the patient. Completes all required documentation following department policy and accreditation standards with appropriate co- signatures, including patient evaluations, progress notes, team conference reports, and discharge summaries as appropriate. Record patient care and progress of each patient assigned. Completes daily statistics, billing, and scheduling. Applies insurance guidelines regarding authorization and number of visits. Responsible for maintaining site/department established productivity standards.  Responsible for understanding and adhering to all billing and documentation policies, procedures, and timelines. Responsible for cleaning up after patient treatment, putting away equipment, and keeping area neat and orderly. Performs various manual techniques, patient positioning, transferring and transporting duties, which require lifting and pushing/pulling, while utilizing proper technique.  Demonstrates skill in use of modalities, exercise equipment and other devices that are available in area worked per department orientation checklist.  Demonstrates knowledge of indications and contraindications of modalities and exercise.  Promotes patient safety by participating in safety initiatives as requested and appropriately follows all safety and infection control measures pertaining to the general working environment. Participates in performance improvement activities designed to identify and resolve problems affecting patient care outcomes and to improve quality of care.Manages assigned caseload, informing site leadership of coverage needs and ability to cover; assists with coverage, based on department needs and regional needs Pursues professional growth through participation in continuing education courses, department in-services, and reading professional literature.  Orients new staff to clinical and department policies as requested. Participates in the evaluation process of co-workers by providing verbal or written feedback as requested.  May supervise physical therapy assistants following all applicable state and local compliance requirements.  Includes delegating patients to assistive personnel while providing direction, recommendations regarding treatment and ongoing supervision while maintaining responsibility for patient plan of care and goals.  May supervise physical therapy extenders (rehab aides/techs) in administering treatments to patients and will teach them appropriate techniques to perform with specific patients.  May supervise physical therapy students after completing one year of clinical experience. Minimum Job Requirements Education Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy from an accredited school or educational requirements commensurate with the date of graduation. Maintains continuing education requirements as mandated by applicable state professional standards . Certification / Registration / License Licensed Physical Therapist in the State upon which you work. Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers (obtained within 90 days unless department leader has determined is not required) by American Heart Association (AHA) Work Experience No experience required Knowledge / Skills / Abilities Intermediate computer skills Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organization skills Demonstrated organization, decision-making, and problem-solving skills Successfully completes all competency assessments/requirements pertaining to provision of patient care and consistent with site standards Team members will maintain annual educational requirements for hospital-based certifications (e.g. DNV, CARF or others). Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served.  Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs. Physical Requirements and Working Conditions Must be able to sit, stand, walk, lift, and squat throughout the workday Must be able to: lift up to 50 lbs. from floor to waist. lift up to 10 lbs. from waist to overhead. lift and carry up to 40 lbs. at waist height a reasonable distance Must be able to:  push/pull with 30 lbs. of force. perform a sliding transfer of 150 lbs. with a second person present Position requires repetitive use of hands: Simple grasping - 5-15 lbs. - 20% of the workday. Pushing/pulling - up to 75-100 lbs. - 10% of the day Fine manipulation of hands during massage and joint mobilization Must have functional use of senses to allow for effective communication Exposed to electrical and chemical hazards as well as blood and body fluids; therefore, must have ability to wear protective clothing as needed Position may require travel; therefore, may be exposed to road and weather hazards Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job #LI- PerDIEM #LI- Peds #LI- REHAB DISCLAIMER All responsibilities and requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only responsibilities to be performed by an employee occupying this job or position.  Employees must follow any other job-related instructions and perform any other job-related duties requested by their leaders. Our Commitment to You: Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including: Compensation • Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training • Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job • Incentive pay for select positions • Opportunity for annual increases based on performance Benefits and more • Paid Time Off programs • Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability • Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses • Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave • Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs • Educational Assistance Program Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview. About Advocate Health  Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.

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