Physiotherapist, Women's and Newborn Health Program

Click here to apply as an internal applicant. Company : IWK Health Req ID: 225871 Department/Program: Allied Health NICU, Women's & Newborn Health Location: Halifax Type of Employment: Permanent Hourly PT (60% FTE) x 1 position(s) Start Date: ASAPUnion Status: NSGEU Hlthcare, Healthcare Bargaining UnitCompensation: $38.4318 - $52.7714 /hourClosing Date: September 11, 2026 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time) IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across Nova Scotia. People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values, and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive. Promoting an anti-racist environment, and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care, is important to us. We are located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Working in Mi’kma’ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.The Opportunity Reporting to the Manager, Neonatal Care Team, the Physiotherapist (PT) works as part of a collaborative interdisciplinary team providing Physiotherapy services to infants in a Family-Integrated Care Environment. The PT will provide services within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with a focus on neuroprotective and developmental care. This may be on a direct, consultative, or monitoring basis. The PT is responsible for developmental assessment and intervention, including but not limited to motor development, neuromuscular status, posture, movement quality, musculoskeletal integrity, pain management and positioning and handling needs of infants in the NICU. The PT educates and coaches parents and caregivers in infant development and developmental care, including handling, positioning, and developmental support.The PT liaises with the team and family to support goals related to on-going discharge planning and to ensure continuity of care. The PT participates in clinical rounds, developmental care rounds, interdisciplinary care planning, and client and family meetings.The PT supports service development through care team meetings, discipline meetings, working groups, and subcommittees as needed.The PT consults and collaborates with other interdisciplinary team members both within the Health Centre and in the community and contributes to staff education.The PT participates in precepting students and supervising Rehabilitation Assistants as appropriate.This position requires daily recording of workload, documentation of program plans for clients, and documentation of intervention plan changes. Therapists must follow the documentation guidelines established by IWK Health and their regulatory body. The successful PT will be responsible for staying current on best practices and is expected to participate in quality improvement initiatives, program development, and evidence-based practice activities.Hours of Work 7.5 hours/shift, daytime. Three days a week (Monday, Tuesday and Friday). The PT works in collaboration with the Physiotherapy Clinical Coordinator and shares responsibility with all PTs to provide caseload coverage throughout IWK Health, as required as well as weekend standby and call-back coverage on a rotational basis.Your Qualifications Graduate of a Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) approved Physiotherapy Program required. Licensure (good standing), or eligible to be licensed, to practice by the Nova Scotia Regulator of Physiotherapy (NSRPT) required. Minimum two (2) years clinical experience preferred. Pediatric, neonatal, or developmental physiotherapy experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred. Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in assessment and intervention for infants in the NICU/developmental care/neuroprotective care. Demonstrated knowledge of infant development, neonatal physiology, and family-centred-care. Pediatric experience preferred (for centre-wide coverage responsibilities). Demonstrated excellence in clinical care: commitment to evidence -based practice. Demonstrated ability to work as part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary team in a variety of settings, and the ability to work independently. Demonstrated excellent interpersonal, presentation, and communication (verbal and written) and clinical reasoning skills required. Demonstrated excellent time management, organization, and problem-solving skills. Current successful completion of a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Basic Life Support Level (BS) Program within the last 12 months, or successful completion of a BLS Renewal Challenge Certificate, required. Knowledge of program-based care is an asset. Experience working in a Level III or Level IV NICU is an asset. Training in neonatal developmental care and neuroprotective practices. Certification or advanced training in infant neuromotor assessment tools. Experience participating in quality improvement, research, or educational initiatives. Competency in other languages is considered an asset. Thank you for your interest in IWK Health. Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing) you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process. This is a Healthcare bargaining unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units or employment status, are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position. An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials. If you are an employee of IWK Health, please apply through the internal careers page to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.

The physiotherapist provides specialized developmental assessment and intervention for infants within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. They collaborate with an interdisciplinary team to support neuroprotective care, parent education, and discharge planning.

Candidates must hold a degree from a Canadian Physiotherapy Association approved program and possess current licensure with the Nova Scotia Regulator of Physiotherapy. A minimum of two years of clinical experience, preferably in pediatric or neonatal settings, is required along with current Basic Life Support certification.

• Wellness programs • Training and mentorship opportunities

• Time managementPreferred
• Quality ImprovementPreferred
• interdisciplinary collaborationPreferred
• DocumentationPreferred

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Physiotherapy
• Neonatal care
• Developmental assessment
• Neuroprotective care
• Family-centred care
• Clinical reasoning
• Interdisciplinary collaboration
• Patient education
• Discharge planning
• Time management
• Documentation
• Basic Life Support
• Quality improvement
• Evidence-based practice
• Developmental Assessment
• Intervention Plans
• Clinical Experience
• Clinical Rounds
• Infant Development
• Neuromuscular System And Disorders
• Neonatal Care
• Clinical Reasoning
• Planning
• Discharge Planning
• Quality Improvement
• Program Development
• Research
• Physical Therapy
• Physiology
• Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification
• Child Development
• Pediatrics
• Communication
• Integrated Care
• Disabilities
• Evidence-Based Practice
• Health Sciences
• Problem Solving
• Mentorship
• Human Musculoskeletal System
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
• Rehabilitation
• Pain Management
• Primary Care
• Service Development
• Time Management

• Healthcare
• Science & Research
• Physiotherapist
• Physical Therapist
• Physiotherapists
• Physical Therapists

Minimum education

Bachelor’s degree

Minimum experience

2+ years

Apply by

Sep 12, 2026

Posting language

English

Working hours

23 hours per week