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.QUESTION
Analyzing Position Descriptions
Assignment: Analyzing Position Descriptions
Imagine you have enrolled in a course where you found the content to be difficult, confusing, and time consuming. You are having difficulty understanding several of the concepts, and you need this course as part of your program, so you decide to hire a tutor. How would you go about finding a qualified tutor at a reasonable rate of pay? You are most likely to recruit qualified candidates by creating a position description and posting it in a visible location such as your local newspaper or an online job board. Your position description could include information about the type and level of tutoring you would require, the hours you would need to meet with the tutor, the wage you would pay, and pertinent contact information.
Position descriptions for job openings in healthcare organizations are similar to this hypothetical tutoring position description. A good position description includes essential components, and it must be written with care and clarity to attract qualified candidates. In this Assignment, you will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of position descriptions for positions in the healthcare field.
To prepare for this Assignment:
• Read Chapter 6 of the Fallon and McConnell textbook. Focus on Table 6-1 and consider how the components listed in the table relate to the recruitment of qualified candidates.
• Select two job descriptions in the field of healthcare to focus on for this Assignment. You may find them published on the website of a local healthcare organization or posted on Indeed.com or Monster.com. (Note: Choose job descriptions that are different from the one you chose in the Discussion.)
• Consider the job descriptions' strengths and weaknesses based on the information in Chapter 6
To complete this Assignment, write a 2- to 3-page paper in which you analyze the strengths and weaknesses of position descriptions. This Assignment will have two parts:
• Part 1: Importance of Creating Effective Position Description
o Explafain the importance of creating effective position descriptions.
o Describe at least three significant uses of a position description.
o Explain the importance of developing a position analysis prior to developing a position description.
o Identify the best people to contact to complete a position analysis and the information you could garner from them.
• Part 2: Analyze Position Descriptions
o Include the position title and text for each of the two position descriptions you selected.
o Identify the strengths of each position description and discern how those strengths contribute to the overall effectiveness of the description.
o Identify what may be wrong with the descriptions and what information may be missing.
o Recommend at least one way to improve each of the position descriptions.
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| Subject | Nursing | Pages | 5 | Style | APA |
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Answer
Strengths and Weaknesses of Position Descriptions in Healthcare Field
A position description (PD) is essential in all occupations as it provides prospectus employees with an overview of what is expected of them once they are hired. In healthcare field, it is paramount to develop position descriptions with care and clarity to avoid any limitations and negative impacts. Based on the crucial role of a position description, this paper defines it before explaining its strengths and weaknesses for positions in the healthcare sector.
Importance of Creating Effective Position Description
A position description is necessary when intending to hire a person to fill a particular post. Fundamentally, it is vital for assigning duties and responsibilities to a specific position and describing how the work is expected to be carried out after customary incubation, orientation, and training (Lee et al., 2017). Therefore, the primary use of a PD comprises telling readers what a worker in a particular position is responsible for executing, how to perform, and how it relates to other posts within or outside the work environment. Moreover, a proper position description enables the readers to understand the expectations of the job. For recruiters, a PD helps them target only qualified candidates.
The significance of position descriptions means that they have to be accurate lest they elicit interest from unsuitable applicants while also assigning them wrong duties. Therefore, it is paramount to develop a position analysis before writing a position description. In this regard, a position analysis ensures that one understands the job to allow for an accurate description of job duties. Moreover, position analysis allows for considerations of changes in the specified job. For instance, current PD may want candidates to understand how to use technological tools, which is a product of extensive position analysis. Lastly, position analysis contributes to proper decision-making practices relating to hiring.
The best people to contact when conducting a position analysis include those already in the position. Ideally, these will be essential in describing what their daily duties comprise. Other people comprise employees in which the focus will be reviewing their worksheets. Notably, this will provide the analysts with an overview of the goals of each position.
Analysis of Position Descriptions
Table 1. Sample Job positions in healthcare
Source: Jobs.washingtonpost.com. 2020. Healthcare Jobs | D.C. Metro. [Online] Available at: <https://jobs.washingtonpost.com/jobs/healthcare/> [Accessed 21 October 2020].
Both position descriptions in table 1 above are detailed as they have captured all the information relating to the jobs. Therefore, readers will have a clear view of what is required or expected of them once hired. Another strength is that the focus is on the positions being advertised. As such, the readers will not be confused about their jobs' specifics in relation to others.
On the low side, the two job descriptions lack an appropriate structure. For instance, the details are in prose form within a single paragraph. Whereas this shortens the PD's actual length, it may adversely impact understanding, especially for those reading in a hurry. The two job descriptions also fail to explain how the recruits will relate to professionals in other workplace fields. Notably, this may be a challenge for job incumbents, as they will not know how to interact professionally with other personnel (Fallon & McConnell, 2016). Moreover, there is no description of working conditions, which may comprise elements such as the possibility of hazards.
The primary way to improve job descriptions is to develop them in an orderly manner. In this regard, distinct features and requirements should be separated so that readers can understand the difference. It is ideal to have two or three short paragraphs rather than having a long one. Another way to improve the PDs is to include information about how the job incumbents can relate with professionals in other jobs to avoid possible workplace confusion.
References
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Fallon, F. L., & McConnell, C. R. (2013). Human Resource Management in Health Care: Principles and Practices (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Lee, S. M., Kim, Y. H., Shim, Y. M., Choi, J. S., & Yu, M. (2017). Development of Hospital Nurses' Job Description based on DACUM Method: Focusing on General Ward and Intensive Care Unit. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration, 23(5), 535-547.
Jobs.washingtonpost.com. 2020. Healthcare Jobs | D.C. Metro. [Online] Available at: <https://jobs.washingtonpost.com/jobs/healthcare/> [Accessed 21 October 2020].
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