Job Description and Commitment

Scribes work alongside Emergency Department (ED) physicians, residents, PAs, and ARNPs overseeing the documentation of each patient’s visit to the ED. Our program provides a comprehensive training experience, including an online training course, shadow shifts at each ED location, and five to 10 weeks of on-site training where new scribes work alongside experienced scribes to learn the principle duties of the role as well as the workflow and environment of the ED. New scribes learn how to effectively and efficiently complete an accurate Electronic Medical Record while gaining invaluable experience outside of the classroom in a real clinical setting.  In the ED, providers treat patients with various complaints of all acuities spanning all fields of medicine, providing scribes with a multidisciplinary experience.  Furthermore, scribes develop professional and personal relationships with ED providers and are a vital part of the department team. 

What We Look For in Applicants

  • Ability to make an 18-month commitment (minimum) to the program.  Students are expected to commit 20 hours each week. Full-time (non-student) employees are expected to commit 40 hours each week. 
  • Applicants aspiring to work in the medical field: Medical Doctor, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Physician Assistant, or Nurse Practitioner.
  • Currently enrolled in BA/BS program, post-baccalaureate students, or a recent college graduate.
  • Completion of an anatomy and/or medical terminology class is preferred but not required.
  • Ability to multitask with attention to detail and to function in a fast-paced, demanding environment.
  • Team player with strong work ethic who displays integrity and a willingness to be flexible.
  • Computer proficient with minimum typing speed of 55 words per minute.

Position and Benefits

  • This is a paid OPS (hourly) position with the University.  The position does not accrue paid sick or vacation days and does not offer health insurance or retirement to employees working less than 30 hours/week.
  • Variable schedule:  Scribes work a variety of shifts, including days, nights, weekends, and some holidays.  
  •  Students will never be scheduled to work during class/exam times. 
  • No prior scribe experience is necessary. On-the-job paid training.
  • Providers that will treat you like a team member.

The UF EM Scribe program is not just a job.  It’s a hybrid between a paid position and an academic learning experience.  Our focus it not merely to provide a service to the medical providers but also give scribes a clinical experience in the emergency medicine environment. We work hard to give our scribes the support needed to become proficient while providing opportunities to learn medicine from great providers who love to teach. Our goal is for our scribes to gain valuable knowledge and experience that ultimately aids them in their eventual pursuit of an advanced degree in medicine.  In return, we ask our scribes to prioritize this program and remain dedicated while fulfilling the expected time commitment.

Benefits to Providers and Patients

  • Improves patient care – the provider can spend more time maintaining eye contact with the patient rather than documenting while the patient talks.
  • Increases efficiency of the provider – many providers spend up to 50% of their time documenting, so having a scribe allows them to focus on direct patient communication.
  • Makes the provider record a more complete document for clinical communication, billing, legal and quality assurance.

Benefits of Being a Scribe

  • Be a respected member and integral part of the Emergency Medicine team.
  • Observe a wide spectrum of patients, injuries, and disease states.
  • Exposure to different medical specialties and associated clinicians and staff.
  • Become fluent in the “language of medicine.”
  • Familiarization with electronic medical record documentation and refinement of note-taking skills.
  • Enhancement of Medical/PA school applications, preparation for interviews, and letters of recommendation from clinical providers.
  • And so much more!

Commitment

The commitments outlined below are non-negotiable. This program requires a significant commitment of time and energy but far less than what you can expect in medical school or a residency program.  If medicine is your path, the Scribe Program will prepare you to excel in your future endeavors.

Time Commitment

 Scribes are expected to fulfill an 18-month commitment to the program after the release from training. Special consideration for a 12-month commitment after training may be given to full-time applicants in a gap year who are currently applying to Medical or Physician Assistant School.  Full-time scribes work 40 hours per week, equating to four shifts per week. Part-time scribes work 20 hours per week, equating to two shifts per week. 

Scheduling

Due to the nature of the ED, shift times vary widely to include AM, PM/overnight, and mid-day shifts. We staff multiple emergency departments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.  Students will not be scheduled during class times, but outside of this, we expect each scribe to be very flexible. 

All scribes are expected to work some days, nights, weekends, and holidays. We will take into consideration volunteer commitments and religious requests, but ultimately our top priority is staffing all ED shifts and fulfilling our clinical mission.

The program does have a vacation policy, allowing each scribe to take an allotted number of unpaid vacation days biannually.  There is also a policy allowing for study time for graduate school exams, including the MCAT and GRE. 

Shift Times

Typical shifts include 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. These shift times are subject to change based on department need.  Scribe shifts are 10 hours long. During a single shift, the scribe will likely work with a variety of providers, including doctors, residents, PAs, and ARNPs.

Location Commitment

Applicants must commit to work in all areas and locations of the Emergency Department.  Our department has an adult emergency department and a pediatric emergency department on the main hospital campus. Our department also has two free-standing emergency departments: Springhill and Kanapaha. A car or reliable transportation is necessary to ensure on-time arrival to shifts.