Location & Practice Overview

This full-time administrative position supports the NICU service line at East Tennessee Children's Hospital in Knoxville. The role sits within a specialized inpatient pediatric environment and coordinates staffing, scheduling, payroll, and daily administrative processes that support neonatal nursing operations.

Facility Type Freestanding not-for-profit children's hospital
Service Line Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Care Setting Inpatient pediatric hospital environment
Geographic Context Knoxville regional pediatric referral center serving East Tennessee
Reporting Structure Reports to Nurse Manager

Responsibilities

  • Create and edit schedules for assigned nursing departments in the electronic scheduling system while following hospital policies, procedures, and guidelines.
  • Prepare accurate daily and shift schedules based on forecasted staffing needs and coordinate changes with the unit leadership team.
  • Work with unit leadership and Nursing Coordinators to resolve daily staffing issues and communicate schedule requests or changes to the appropriate leaders.
  • Perform daily timecard reconciliation and prepare payroll for unit leader approval by 10 a.m. on the payroll submission date.
  • Track on-call and PRN shift requirements, monitor absenteeism, and report attendance or scheduling compliance issues to unit leadership.
  • Schedule department conference rooms, reconcile and maintain the daily ED Log, and assist with unit billing and charge reconciliation.

The position provides the administrative coordination behind a specialized nursing service line, requiring accurate scheduling decisions, timely payroll preparation, close communication with clinical leaders, and dependable follow-through on unit logistics.

Qualifications & Requirements

This role suits an organized administrative professional who can manage staffing-related deadlines, communicate effectively with clinical leadership, work accurately with scheduling and payroll information, and remain dependable in a busy hospital environment.

Education
High school diploma or GED required
Experience
2 years of related administrative assistant, scheduling, or logistics experience in a healthcare setting preferred
Technical Skills
Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel; ability to work accurately within an electronic scheduling system
Core Competencies
Strong planning and organizational skills; excellent verbal and written communication; attention to detail; consistent deadline management; effective teamwork
License / Certification
None required

Compensation & Benefits

The listed compensation for this Knoxville administrative position is $31,000–$41,000 annually. The role is full-time and scheduled for days; a detailed benefits package is not specified in the available posting and should be confirmed with the employer.

  • Compensation: $31,000–$41,000 per year
  • Full-time employment with a daytime schedule
  • Specific additional benefits are not detailed in the available posting and should be verified with the employer

Schedule & Work Environment

Employment Type Full-time
Shift Days
Work Setting On-site pediatric hospital environment
Physical Demands 20–50 lbs lifting, pushing, or pulling occasionally; 10–20 lbs frequently and 10 lbs constantly; frequent bending, walking, sitting, squatting, reaching, standing, and keyboard/computer use; emergency situations may require moving up to 100 lbs

Patient Population & Clinical Setting

This position does not provide routine bedside care. Its administrative work supports nursing teams caring for critically ill newborns and infants in a high-acuity neonatal environment, making reliable staffing coordination an important part of daily unit operations.

Primary Population Supported Critically ill newborns and infants
Clinical Environment 60-bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Role Relationship to Care Indirect operational support for nursing staff and service-line leadership

Clinical Focus & Key Services

This is a non-clinical administrative position focused on the operational backbone of the NICU service line. The work connects staffing coverage, timekeeping, payroll preparation, attendance tracking, and unit logistics rather than patient assessment or treatment.

Core Operational Focus Nursing schedules, specialty-role assignments, forecasted coverage, and daily staffing coordination
Payroll & Timekeeping Support Daily timecard reconciliation and payroll preparation for unit leader approval
Service-Line Logistics On-call and PRN tracking, absenteeism follow-up, conference-room scheduling, ED Log maintenance, and billing support

Role Highlights

The position combines several operational responsibilities that are often separated across hospital administrative functions, giving the successful candidate direct exposure to how a specialized neonatal service line manages staffing, timekeeping, and daily workflow.

  • Dedicated administrative responsibility for the NICU service line within a specialized pediatric hospital
  • Regular coordination with Nursing Coordinators and unit leadership when staffing needs change during daily operations
  • Integrated responsibility for scheduling, timecard reconciliation, payroll preparation, attendance tracking, and unit logistics
  • Opportunity to support neonatal nursing operations without performing bedside clinical duties or requiring a professional healthcare license

About East Tennessee Children's Hospital

East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is a private, independent, not-for-profit pediatric medical center in Knoxville that has served the East Tennessee region since 1937. The 152-bed hospital is certified by Tennessee as a Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center and provides specialized pediatric care across a broad regional service area. Its neonatal program includes a 60-bed Level III NICU, creating a complex clinical environment in which administrative coordination, staffing coverage, and accurate service-line support are closely connected to hospital operations.

Organization Type Private, independent, not-for-profit pediatric medical center
Founded 1937
Licensed Beds 152, including a 60-bed Level III NICU
Designation Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center
Service Area East Tennessee and surrounding areas of Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this role involve direct patient care in the NICU?
No. The position is administrative and focuses on scheduling, staffing coordination, payroll preparation, timekeeping, and related operational support for the NICU service line. Direct bedside clinical duties are not part of the listed responsibilities.
What electronic systems will I be expected to use?
The position uses the hospital’s electronic scheduling system to create and edit nursing schedules and manage staffing information. Microsoft Word and Excel proficiency is also required. The available posting does not identify the specific scheduling platform by name.
Is prior NICU or pediatric experience required?
No specific NICU clinical background is listed as a requirement. The preferred experience is two years of related administrative assistant, scheduling, or logistics work in a healthcare setting. Familiarity with healthcare operations can therefore be relevant even without neonatal clinical experience.
What is the payroll preparation deadline?
The job posting specifies that payroll should be prepared for unit leader approval by 10 a.m. on the date of payroll submission. Daily timecard reconciliation is part of the administrative process supporting that deadline.
Who does this position work with during staffing changes?
The Administrative Assistant works with the Nurse Manager, unit leadership, and Nursing Coordinators to address daily staffing issues, communicate schedule requests, and maintain appropriate coverage for assigned nursing departments.
Are there physical requirements beyond typical office work?
Yes. The listed requirements include occasional lifting, pushing, or pulling of 20–50 pounds, frequent handling of 10–20 pounds, and constant handling of 10 pounds. Frequent bending, walking, sitting, squatting, reaching, standing, keyboard/computer use, and repetitive motions are also listed. Emergency situations may require moving up to 100 pounds.

NICU Administrative Assistant in Knoxville, TN

East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville offers a full-time, day-shift NICU Administrative Assistant position centered on the operational coordination of a specialized neonatal service line. Unlike a general clerical role, this position connects nursing schedules, forecasted staffing requirements, timekeeping, payroll preparation, attendance tracking, and department logistics. The Administrative Assistant works under the Nurse Manager and collaborates with unit leadership and Nursing Coordinators to address daily staffing issues, assign specialty roles, communicate schedule requests, and maintain appropriate coverage. The position also requires daily timecard reconciliation, payroll preparation for approval by 10 a.m. on the payroll submission date, tracking of on-call and PRN requirements, absenteeism monitoring, conference-room scheduling, ED Log reconciliation, and support for unit billing and charge reconciliation. The Knoxville hospital environment includes a 60-bed Level III NICU within a 152-bed pediatric medical center. Candidates need a high school diploma or GED, with two years of related healthcare administrative, scheduling, or logistics experience preferred. Microsoft Word and Excel proficiency, strong organization, accurate communication, and dependable deadline management are essential. No license or certification is required, making this a specialized non-clinical pathway into pediatric hospital operations. Compensation is $31,000–$41,000 annually.

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