Patient coordinator vs nurse coordinator

The differences between patient coordinators and nurse coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a patient coordinator, becoming a nurse coordinator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a nurse coordinator has an average salary of $79,040, which is higher than the $32,954 average annual salary of a patient coordinator.

The top three skills for a patient coordinator include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a nurse coordinator are patients, CPR, and customer service.

Patient coordinator vs nurse coordinator overview

	Patient Coordinator	Nurse Coordinator
Yearly salary	$32,954	$79,040
Hourly rate	$15.84	$38.00
Growth rate	-4%	6%
Number of jobs	97,878	428,775
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	40	44
Years of experience	4	2

What does a patient coordinator do?

A patient coordinator functions as the primary point of contact between health care professionals and patients in a medical facility. They mostly perform administrative tasks such as greeting visitors, answering calls, responding to inquiries, managing schedules, arranging appointments, processing payments, gathering information, and keeping records. Moreover, they assist in filling out forms, escorting patients to different rooms or offices, and setting treatment plans. Most importantly, they discuss and share necessary information with patients and families regarding medications, procedures, and proceeding care according to a physician's assessment.

What does a nurse coordinator do?

A nurse coordinator is primarily in charge of overseeing all nurses and their activities in a hospital or clinic. Their responsibilities include managing and rotating schedules, assessing nurse performance, organizing nursing programs, and developing strategies to optimize procedures. They may also assist patients and answer inquiries, studying their conditions to develop specific care plans to suit their needs. Furthermore, as a nurse coordinator, it is essential to lead and encourage teams to reach goals, all while implementing the facility's policies and regulations.

Patient coordinator vs nurse coordinator salary

Patient coordinators and nurse coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Coordinator	Nurse Coordinator
Average salary	$32,954	$79,040
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $41,000	Between $61,000 And $102,000
Highest paying City	Brockton, MA	Palo Alto, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	California
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Tenet Healthcare
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between patient coordinator and nurse coordinator education

There are a few differences between a patient coordinator and a nurse coordinator in terms of educational background:

	Patient Coordinator	Nurse Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Duke University

Patient coordinator vs nurse coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between patient coordinators' and nurse coordinators' demographics:

	Patient Coordinator	Nurse Coordinator
Average age	40	44
Gender ratio	Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8%	Male, 9.5% Female, 90.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 25.4% Asian, 6.2% White, 51.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	9%

Differences between patient coordinator and nurse coordinator duties and responsibilities

Patient coordinator example responsibilities.

Comply with HIPAA regulations by discreetly and professionally handling all patients private medical information.
Gather personal plus insurance information and perform thorough insurance breakdowns for patients.
Communicate directly with patients to obtain initial patient information and respond to inquiries.
Process and update HIPAA relate paperwork and other require institutional forms as necessary.
Obtain all necessary documentation prior to surgery such as proof of identification, copy of insurance and require insurance referrals.
Respond in writing to all grievances in accordance with CMS and DNV guidelines.

Nurse coordinator example responsibilities.

Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
Assume administrative oversight of medical, pediatric and chemical dependency rehabilitation units during leaves of absence or vacancy.
Communicate with patients regarding test results and plan after participating in review of diagnostic testing results with attending physician.
Organize and schedule patients for multiple testing procedures and responsible for extensive patient teaching regarding all aspects of fertility and infertility.
Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
Contribute to the telemetry and radiology departments

Patient coordinator vs nurse coordinator skills

Common patient coordinator skills

Patients, 30%
Customer Service, 11%
Patient Care, 6%
Patient Flow, 5%
Excellent Organizational, 4%
Check-In, 3%

Common nurse coordinator skills

Patients, 27%
CPR, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Data Collection, 3%
Direct Patient Care, 3%
Quality Care, 3%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Patient Coordinator
Patient Coordinator vs Nurse Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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