| Course | HA255 Human Resources for Health Care Organizations |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 2 |
| Paper type | Job description |
| Length | About 770 words, 5 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Health Care Administration |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HA255 Unit 2
Rhythms, Alarms and Drips After Seven at Night: A Job Description for a Night Shift Telemetry Registered Nurse at a Composite Community Hospital, With Essential Functions Kept Apart From Marginal Ones
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
HA255: Human Resources for Health Care Organizations
Unit 2 Job Description
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The hospital, the unit and every bracketed share of the shift are composite; the document follows a typical hospital template rather than any named employer's.
Position Header
Title: Registered Nurse, Telemetry, Nights Department: [4 West] Telemetry, [28] beds Reports to: Nurse Manager, Telemetry Status: Full time, non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act; paid hourly with overtime after 40 hours in a workweek Shift: 12 hours, 1900 to 0730, three shifts a week, with rotating weekends and holidays
Position Summary
The night telemetry nurse provides care to [four] or [five] adult patients who need continuous cardiac monitoring. The nurse interprets rhythms, responds to alarms, manages protocol-based infusions and communicates changes to the rapid response team, the hospitalist and the charge nurse. The role works with monitor technicians and nursing assistants and is accountable for safe care through the night.
Essential Functions
1. Assesses assigned patients at the start of the shift and at least every [four] hours, including rhythm strip interpretation and measurement of PR, QRS and QT intervals. [20 percent]
2. Responds to cardiac monitor alarms, separating actionable alarms from artifact, and adjusts alarm limits within unit policy. [15 percent]
3. Titrates infusions such as heparin, diltiazem and amiodarone within approved protocols, checking laboratory values and rhythms before each change. [15 percent]
4. Recognizes deterioration, starts the rapid response or code process and performs basic and advanced cardiac life support until the team arrives. [10 percent]
5. Administers medications and performs procedures within the scope of practice in the state. [15 percent]
6. Admits, transfers and discharges patients, including documentation and handoff reports. [10 percent]
7. Educates patients and families about monitoring, medications and warning signs. [5 percent]
8. Delegates tasks to nursing assistants and checks that they are done. [5 percent]
9. Documents assessments, interventions and responses in the electronic record before the end of the shift. [5 percent]
Each function names a telemetry task a grader could not find in a general nursing description, such as rhythm interpretation, alarm response and protocol titration.
Marginal Functions
Restocking the crash cart checklist, serving on the unit council and precepting students are marginal: they may be reassigned without changing the job. Alarm fatigue is a recognized patient safety concern, and nurses on monitored units need clear expectations about which alarms they own and how limits may be adjusted (Sendelbach & Funk, 2013).
Why the Split Matters
Under the federal disability regulations, an employer's written job description prepared before advertising or interviewing for a job is one piece of evidence of which functions are essential (29 C.F.R. § 1630.2, 2024). If marginal tasks are listed as essential, the description may screen out a qualified applicant who could do every core telemetry task with a reasonable accommodation.
Qualifications
Required: current registered nurse license in [state] or a multistate license; current basic life support card, with the advanced cardiac life support course completed within [six] months of hire; [one] year of acute care experience. Preferred: a certification in cardiac or progressive care nursing; experience reading 12-lead electrocardiograms. Screening list: the license and life support cards, checked before any interview. Ranking list: experience on monitored units, rhythm interpretation test score, interview score.
Physical and Environmental Demands
Stands and walks for most of a 12-hour shift. Lifts and moves up to [35] pounds without help and assists with repositioning patients using lift equipment. Pushes beds and equipment. Works under artificial light through the night, with exposure to blood, body fluids and infectious disease, managed with protective equipment. Hears alarms and reads monitor displays, with or without accommodation.
Working Relationships
Reports to the night charge nurse during the shift and to the nurse manager for performance. Works daily with monitor technicians, hospitalists, respiratory therapists and the rapid response team. Coordinates night lab draws with the laboratory.
Evaluation
Performance is reviewed at [90] days and yearly against the essential functions above, using rhythm competency checks, alarm response audits and peer feedback.
Approval and Revision
Approved by: Nurse Manager, Telemetry; Director of Cardiovascular Services; Human Resources Partner. Date approved: [date]. Next review: [date one year later], or sooner if the unit's patient mix, equipment or protocols change. Nurse turnover research links clear role expectations to staying, which is one reason to keep the description current (Halter et al., 2017).
References
29 C.F.R. § 1630.2 (2024). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1630.2
Halter, M., Boiko, O., Pelone, F., Beighton, C., Harris, R., Gale, J., Gourlay, S., & Drennan, V. (2017). The determinants and consequences of adult nursing staff turnover: A systematic review of systematic reviews. BMC Health Services Research, 17(1), Article 824. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-017-2707-0
Sendelbach, S., & Funk, M. (2013). Alarm fatigue: A patient safety concern. AACN Advanced Critical Care, 24(4), 378-386. https://doi.org/10.4037/NCI.0b013e3182a903f9
HA255 Unit 2 instructions, in plain terms
Unit 2 generally asks students to write a complete job description for a health care position, using a standard template. Instructions often list a header with title, department, supervisor and FLSA status, a position summary, essential and marginal functions, required and preferred qualifications, physical and environmental demands and an approval or revision line. Many prompts ask students to explain why essential functions matter under disability law. Expect to pick a specific role and setting rather than a generic one, to write duties that begin with verbs and to cite any legal or professional sources in APA style. Keep the employer composite and the document short enough to be used as a posting.
Inside the HA255 Unit 2 example
The sample begins with a labeled header and a three-sentence summary describing patients monitored rather than tasks performed. Nine numbered essential functions follow, each with a bracketed share of the shift, and the highlighted sentence explains that each names a telemetry task. Marginal functions are listed separately, citing a review of alarm fatigue. A short section cites the federal disability regulations on written descriptions as evidence of essential functions, with a margin note. Qualifications are split into a screening list and a ranking list, marked by another note. Physical demands give a weight, then working relationships, evaluation and an approval block close the document with a review date.
Where the points sit in the HA255 Unit 2 rubric
Job description rubrics in HA 255 usually give points for a complete header, a clear summary, specific essential functions, correct separation of marginal duties, accurate qualifications, measurable physical demands, legal awareness and format. Header points depend on title, department, supervisor and FLSA status. Function points go to duties specific to the role rather than any nurse. Marginal duty points reward keeping occasional tasks off the essential list. Qualification points require licensure stated as a condition of hiring. Physical demand points need weights and conditions. Legal points reward explaining why essential functions matter. Format points depend on a document that could be posted as written. Descriptions with an approval and review date often stand out.
HA255 Unit 2 help from the desk
Students often lose points by writing duties that could describe any nurse on any unit, such as assess patients and give medications. Another common gap is a physical demands line without a weight, which cannot be applied to anyone. Some descriptions list a certification but leave out the license. Others put precepting or committee work on the essential list. Choose a role you can picture on a specific shift, write each function as a verb and an object specific to that role, keep occasional tasks marginal and add weights and conditions to physical demands. Then check the header, since payroll and recruitment rely on its status and reporting lines.
Get an HA255 Unit 2 example written to your instructions
Which position did the Unit 2 prompt hand out? Name it, or pick one from a workplace you know, and attach the instructions and rubric. The finished description is laid out on a hospital-style template with essential functions weighted and credentials sorted, ready within 24-48 hours. Your first custom sample is free, and the employer on it stays fictional. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
More HA255 papers and BS in Health Care Administration samples
- HA255 Unit 1: Personnel Roles Discussion Post
- HA255 Unit 3: Recruitment Plan
- HA255 Unit 4: Interview Guide
- HA255 Unit 5: Onboarding Plan
- HA255 Unit 6: Staffing Plan
- HA255 Unit 7: Performance Documentation
- HA255 Unit 8: Compensation Analysis
- HA255 Unit 9: Seminar Reflection
- HA255 Unit 10: Personnel Case Analysis
HA255 Unit 2 questions, answered
Where can I find a free HA255 Unit 2 sample paper?
This page carries the full HA255 Unit 2 job description for a night telemetry nurse at a composite community hospital, with nine essential functions, qualifications, physical demands and three sources. Any role you choose can follow the same template.
What is the difference between essential and marginal functions?
Essential functions are the core duties of the job; marginal functions are occasional or could be reassigned without changing the job.
Why do job descriptions matter under disability law?
A written description prepared before advertising or interviewing is one piece of evidence of which functions are essential when judging whether an applicant is qualified.
What does non-exempt mean on a job description?
The employee is paid hourly and is entitled to overtime pay for hours worked over forty in a workweek.
How long is the HA255 Unit 2 job description?
Most run about two pages on a template, with a header, summary, numbered functions, qualifications and physical demands.