Medical Scheduler Job Description Template

Nurse staffing is a highly complex component of healthcare operations. If you’re looking to hire a scheduler, a targeted and search-optimized medical scheduler job description is key to finding the right person with the skills to juggle various priorities and ensure optimum patient care.

On any given shift, there must be enough staff to care for the number of patients in each unit. All of the moving factors, such as patient census and nurse availability, can change in an instant. That’s why it’s important for a schedule to be thoughtfully planned in advance while being evaluated on a shift-by-shift basis. Healthcare organizations may use a strategic scheduling model to handle staffing, such as:

• Decentralized staffing, which places scheduling responsibilities on individual units. A unit-based scheduling committee (typically staff nurse volunteers) makes the schedule, which is overseen by the nurse manager. On a day-to-day basis, unit leaders make patient assignments based on the nurses available. They’re responsible for finding coverage in the event of census changes or sick calls.

• Centralized staffing, in which scheduling is done in a staffing office away from the bedside. This limits distractions and frees up nursing leadership to attend to the unit’s needs. Nonclinical personnel, such as medical schedulers, handle staffing.

• A hybrid model that combines both. This can be advantageous for facilities with ongoing staffing challenges who prefer to take a collaborative approach to nurse scheduling.

If you’re looking to offload some of the scheduling duties from individual units, a medical scheduler may be a worthwhile investment. Here’s how to attract qualified candidates to your facility, starting with a catchy medical scheduler job description.

Medical Scheduler

Tips: Begin any employee scheduling job description with a brief overview of the role. Medical schedulers oversee multiple aspects of the scheduling process. The position requires a mix of administrative, human resources, and interpersonal skills — sum up these skills in this section.

Keep in mind there are other types of medical schedulers who function differently than staff schedulers. If a candidate is looking for a position scheduling patients for surgery or appointments, this may not be a fit. Avoid confusion by listing details like who they’ll be working with, such as healthcare professionals vs. patients.

Template:

Medical schedulers play an important role in nurse staffing on a daily basis. You’ll be working alongside healthcare leaders such as administrators, nurse managers, and charge nurses to evaluate daily staffing needs. The scheduler is also responsible for creating nurse schedules, processing time off requests, and verifying time clock records.

Benefits

Tips: In this section, share any job benefits your company offers. It’s always a good idea to be familiar with pay rates and compensation packages at nearby facilities. You want to give the candidate every reason to choose your company over the competition, so include special incentives like performance-based bonuses.

Template:

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 401(k)
• Life insurance
• Continuing education benefits
• Employee discount program
• Holiday pay

Medical Scheduler Duties and Responsibilities

Tips: Here’s where you want to list daily job responsibilities for the role. Continue holding the candidate’s interest by showcasing exciting aspects of the role. This is another good place to share what sets this lead medical scheduler job description apart from others.

Template:

• Forecasting staffing needs
• Making daily nursing schedules
• Overseeing patient or resident census to ensure enough staff for shifts
• Making adjustments to the schedule as needed
• Reaching out to staffing agencies when needed
• Responding to staff sick or late calls

Compensation and Shifts

Tips: Healthcare facilities run a 24-hour operation, and the medical scheduler may be needed to make important staffing decisions ahead of dayshift. If the job requires working nights or weekends, let the candidate know in the medical scheduler job description.

Template:

• Full-time nights (40 hours per week), 11p-7a
• $21/hour

Medical Scheduler Qualifications and Skills

Tips: This section gives more insight into the role by showing the skills needed to succeed. Many of the skills can be learned on the job, so encourage the candidate to apply even if they don’t check every box.

The medical scheduler should have a balance of interpersonal skills while understanding how staffing affects healthcare operations. Strong communication is a must — on a given shift, they may interact with nursing leadership, healthcare administrators, and external nurse staffing agencies to find supplemental staff. Demonstrate the qualities you’re looking for in the nursing staff scheduler job description.

Template:

• Strong communication
• An understanding of how scheduling impacts the budget
• Scheduling technology best practices
• Conflict resolution
• Human resources
• Experience in a healthcare setting
• Scheduling software experience preferred

Call to Action

Tips: Now that your potential candidate has a clear understanding of the job duties and compensation, show them how to take the next step. Provide instructions on how to apply and provide a link so there’s no guessing.

Template:

Make a positive impact on healthcare by joining our team as a medical scheduler. Apply now through our online portal.

Get More Staffing Support Today

Even with the best medical scheduler job description, keeping a healthcare facility adequately staffed is a challenge. Allow IntelyCare to help you fill open shifts and meet daily staffing demands.