Coordinator - scheduling appointments?

[jjjoy, LPN]

I've been looking into coordinator positions and would like to hear from someone with experience. Some of the entry-level positions involve what appears to be a great deal of scheduling the patients for their various appointment for the research studies. I keep imagining myself sitting at desk making an endless number of phone calls back and forth... "Tuesday at 2?" "No, that won't work? Wed at 1?" "Only if we reschedule XX" "Can't reschedule? How about Monday at 8...?" I know coordinators' responsibilities vary a lot from place to place, but if this was part of your role, can you tell me if my fear of phone scheduling hell is unreasonable.

[outcomesfirst, BSN, RN]

This sounds more like an assistant role - RNs are too valuable, knowledgable and expensive to pay to chat on a phone. Coordinators heaviest job is usually enrolling subjects and collecting data - maybe you make followup appointments after a visit,? That is more reasonable. Coordinators are really the people who keep a research project moving. Physicians do not make rounds in the hospital or wherever looking for potential subjects - coordinators do - that is why nurses work well, they know the environment, physiology, they can understand the inclusion and exclusion criteria and requirements of a protocol. Coordinators chase paper - consents, subjects, IRB docs and federal docs. The key is you must be motivated. Yes, there are a thousand tasks - a good study looks for high quality people who can deliver and multi task -and they pay for those people. Be wary of being offered PAR or slightly below what you made as a staff nurse. Never buy into the well you don't work shifts etc...routine.

[jjjoy, LPN]

I'm actually looking for assistant-type roles as my clinical skills are practically nil, and I'm honestly not looking for direct clinical roles in research. By the time I graduated, I realized that I just don't enjoy clinical nursing. (I know, it's unfortunate given how many people do know that they want to do that). Thus, I look upon my degree as more of a general health science degree and my skills also more general, as I'm not bringing any real world nursing experience to the table (I haven't worked in clinical nursing and don't really want to).

[sharona97, BSN, RN]

I've been looking into coordinator positions and would like to hear from someone with experience. Some of the entry-level positions involve what appears to be a great deal of scheduling the patients for their various appointment for the research studies. I keep imagining myself sitting at desk making an endless number of phone calls back and forth... "Tuesday at 2?" "No, that won't work? Wed at 1?" "Only if we reschedule XX" "Can't reschedule? How about Monday at 8...?" I know coordinators' responsibilities vary a lot from place to place, but if this was part of your role, can you tell me if my fear of phone scheduling hell is unreasonable.

In my experience of scheduling patients, I always explained all appointments were time-sensitive and usually that was explained up front when the patient was approached with an informed consent. So I didn't have a huge problem getting patients scheduled. With that sais there will always be a patient who might be more difficult to schedule. Protocoal should always come first, and we encouraged strongly that protcol must be followed.