Senior Physiotherapist - ED at Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Whanganui, Manawatu / Whanganui

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Senior Physiotherapists – Emergency Department (7-day service): Whanganui Hospital:  Fixed-term 6 months

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

We are seeking experienced, and motivated Senior Physiotherapists to join our dynamic, and passionate inpatient team at Whanganui Hospital. This is a fixed term position for six months, established as a trial to support the introduction of a seven day Physiotherapy service within the Emergency Department. As this role covers seven days a week, we are seeking more than one person. Both full time and part time hours will be considered. Please indicate in your application the days and hours you are available to work.

This position is suited to a physiotherapist with established clinical competence who is looking to further develop their expertise in musculoskeletal, respiratory, neurological, vestibular, geriatric and chronic pain physiotherapy within an ED setting. You will play a key role in delivering high quality, patient and whānau centred care as part of an interdisciplinary team.

In this role, you will provide advanced clinical management for patients presenting to the Emergency Department with musculoskeletal injuries, functional mobility issues, and acute presentations. You will support rapid assessment, early intervention, and safe discharge planning, contributing to efficient patient flow and continuity of care across the patient journey.

As a senior clinician, you will provide clinical leadership, supervision, and education to rotational physiotherapists, assistants, and students. You will also contribute to service development, quality improvement initiatives, and the integration of evidence-based practice within the team.

Whanganui Hospital gives you the unique opportunity of being involved in patient care for their whole patient journey. You will be able to build professional relationships with patients and whānau along with other medical professionals involved in their care.

If you do not currently have the required experience for this position but are interested in opportunities within physiotherapy in Whanganui, we would still welcome you getting in touch. Please contact Jo Mitchell (Clinical Manager for Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech Language Therapy and Dietitians) on 021587974 for an informal discussion.

About the Team/Service/ Location

We have a small team of Physiotherapists with a wide variety of experience and skills. Our service covers  inpatient wards, outpatient services and community-based referrals. There is a lot of demand for the skills of a Physiotherapist, and our team works to support each other, prioritise those who need Physiotherapy the most and ensure that our community are given the best care we are able to provide with the resources we have. This job requires working closely with the other Physiotherapists and Allied Health Therapy Assistants, as well as being a part of a wider multi-disciplinary team. Excellent time management, adaptability and communication skills are essential for this role.

The Physiotherapy department is co-located with Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Dietitians, Social Work, Oncology Nurses and the Community Assessment & Rehab team. We have a newly refurbished location with new clinician spaces including a large Physiotherapy gym and clinical spaces.

Check out www.discoverwhanganui.nz/visit/ to see what your new home could look like.

About you

To be effective and succeed in this role it is expected that you will have the following proven capabilities:

Essential Professional Qualifications / Accreditations / Registrations:

• Bachelor of Physiotherapy (or equivalent).
• NZ Registered Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand with a current practicing certificate.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Ideally 5 years' experience as a physiotherapist, with 2 years' experience working in the inpatient area. However, consideration would be given for supporting a candidate into this senior specialist position (minimum 2 years' experience as a physiotherapist with some experience working in the required areas).
• Demonstrated competency in current physiotherapy practice at an adequate level, and an undertaking to maintain professional development and ongoing education.
• NZ Drivers Licence (full).
• IT skills, competent in Word and Outlook.
• Able to work alongside other MDT members with a team approach.
• Ability to organise workload, and accept responsibilities for work outputs within the multidisciplinary setting.
• Demonstrated leadership skills.
• Committed to working as an effective team member, with the ability to contribute positively to the physiotherapy and wider multidisciplinary team.
• Excellent communication, written and oral.
• Committed to continuous quality improvement.
• Demonstrated capacity for safe cultural practice.

Desired:

• Accredited Equipment Assessor with ENABLE New Zealand - Walking Aids, Standing.

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.  

How to Apply

To apply please click “apply now.”  All applications must be submitted through our online careers' portal by 21/05/2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact jobs@wdhb.org.nz.

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.