NURS 215 Week 2 Research Paper Part 1: Title Page and Abstract Example

Reviewed by Rachel Stanton, MSN, RN · Liberty University · Updated

This NURS 215 Week 2 sample shows the first part of the course's three-part research paper: an APA title page and a 230-word abstract for a paper on HFrEF, the reduced-ejection-fraction form of heart failure, chosen by a telemetry nurse because it shapes the monitoring she does every shift. The abstract states the purpose, explains the mechanism the paper will follow, from a falling cardiac output through sympathetic and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone activation to remodeling, and names the practice implications for daily weights, potassium and medication monitoring. A short topic note explains the choice of disease and the sources that will anchor the paper. Liberty University NURS 215, the RN-to-BSN pathophysiology course, sets this 40-point Part 1 in Module/Week 2.

CourseNURS 215 Post-licensure Pathophysiology (NURS215)
Module/Week2
AssignmentResearch Paper Part 1: Title Page and Abstract
Paper typeTitle page and abstract, with a topic note
Lengthabout 338 words, 1 double-spaced pages plus title page and references. Course guide: a title page and an abstract of 150 to 250 words in current APA format, choosing a disease covered in the course and a topic that will impact the student's current practice
FormatAPA 7 student paper
Points40
SchoolLiberty University Online
ProgramBSN
Where it sitsModule/Week 2 in Liberty's published NURS 215 course guide; current sections can differ
UpdatedOctober 2026

Free sample paper for NURS 215 Week 2

1

Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: From Neurohormonal Compensation to Bedside Monitoring on a Telemetry Unit

 

[Student Name]

School of Nursing, Liberty University

NURS 215: Post-licensure Pathophysiology

Research Paper Part 1

[Instructor Name]

[Date]

 

The writer's unit is a composite; the textbook and the sources named in the topic note are real.

Why this part earns its pointsThe abstract states its purpose in the first sentence, so the reader knows from the start that the paper is about mechanisms.
2

Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: From Neurohormonal Compensation to Bedside Monitoring on a Telemetry Unit

Abstract

This paper examines the pathophysiology of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and what it means for the nurse monitoring patients on a telemetry unit. HFrEF is present when the left ventricle ejects 40% or less of its filling volume, accompanied by progressive dilation and adverse remodeling. The paper traces how an initial injury that lowers cardiac output sets off sympathetic activation and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone cascade, how these responses preserve blood pressure and perfusion in the short term and how their chronic activation drives sodium and water retention, vasoconstriction, myocyte loss, fibrosis and further decline in ventricular function. The paper then explains how the major drug classes used in treatment act on these mechanisms, including beta-blockers, angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors. Finally, it connects each mechanism to nursing assessment and monitoring: daily weights and intake and output as signs of fluid retention, potassium and creatinine as markers of drug effects on the kidney and electrolytes, heart rate and blood pressure as signs of neurohormonal blockade and patient teaching that supports self-care after discharge. Understanding the mechanism gives the nurse a reason for every assessment and medication check.

Keywords: heart failure, reduced ejection fraction, neurohormonal activation, remodeling, nursing assessment

Why this part earns its pointsKeywords close the abstract in APA style and also tell the instructor which concepts the paper will be searched and judged on.
Why this part earns its pointsThe topic note is separate from the abstract and written for the instructor, which keeps the abstract within the word limit.
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Topic Note for the Instructor

I chose heart failure with reduced ejection fraction because roughly a third of the patients on my telemetry unit carry the diagnosis, and I want to understand why the routines we follow, such as daily weights and holding parameters, matter. Grossman and Porth (2014) will supply the foundational physiology of cardiac output and compensation. Murphy et al. (2020) provide a current clinical review, including the definition used in the abstract and the place of newer drug classes. Hartupee and Mann (2017) explain how sympathetic and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone activation, helpful at first, becomes the main driver of disease progression. I will add a guideline source and a nursing self-care source for Part 2. I want the paper to answer the question my patients ask most often: why do I have to weigh myself every morning?

4

References

Grossman, S. C., & Porth, C. M. (2014). Porth's pathophysiology: Concepts of altered health states (9th ed.). Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Hartupee, J., & Mann, D. L. (2017). Neurohormonal activation in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 14(1), 30-38. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2016.163

Murphy, S. P., Ibrahim, N. E., & Januzzi, J. L. (2020). Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: A review. JAMA, 324(5), 488-504. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.10262

What the NURS 215 Week 2 instructions ask

Research Paper Part 1 comes due in Module/Week 2 of NURS 215, with Grossman and Porth's chapters 9, 48 and 49, a presentation, a presentation note and the first exam. The course guide asks the student to choose a disease covered in the course and a topic that will affect their current practice, then create a title page and write an abstract of 150 to 250 words, all in current APA format. Because the finished paper must fill ten to twelve pages and rest on five to seven recent peer-reviewed sources, the textbook among them, so choose a disease narrow enough to cover in depth and with recent literature you can find.

How this NURS 215 Week 2 example is built

The sample has two parts. The title page follows APA student format with the title, the student's name, the school, the course, the instructor and the date. The abstract, on its own page under the bolded heading Abstract, states the purpose of the paper, names the disease and its definition, summarizes the mechanism the paper will trace, previews the treatments explained by that mechanism and states the nursing implications, ending with keywords. A brief topic note, written for the instructor, explains why the writer chose the disease and lists the sources that will anchor the paper, so the instructor's feedback in Part 2 can address the sources as well as the abstract.

NURS 215 Week 2 grading rubric: where the points go

Part 1 is usually graded on choosing an appropriate disease from the course and a practice-relevant topic, a correct APA title page, an abstract within 150 to 250 words that states the purpose and scope clearly and correct APA formatting throughout. Faculty look for an abstract that previews a pathophysiology paper, describing mechanisms, rather than a general overview of symptoms and treatment. An abstract that is too broad, trying to cover every type of heart failure, for example, often draws feedback to narrow the topic. Because Part 2 builds on this feedback, a clear, focused abstract saves revision later. Faculty also check that the topic connects to the student's own practice, as the guide requires.

NURS 215 Week 2 help: mistakes that cost points

Pick a disease you see often in your own practice, then narrow it to one type or one stage so ten to twelve pages can go deep. Write the abstract last, after you have outlined the paper, so it previews what the paper will actually say. Include the purpose, the core mechanism, the main implications and keywords. Count the words: under 150 is too thin and over 250 must be cut. Follow APA student title page format exactly, with the course number and name, instructor and due date. If you add a topic note for your instructor, keep it short and clearly separate from the abstract.

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NURS 215 Week 2 questions, answered

What is NURS 215 Research Paper Part 1?

The 40-point Module/Week 2 assignment in which RN-to-BSN students choose a disease from the course and submit an APA title page and an abstract of 150 to 250 words.

Where can I find a free NURS 215 Week 2 sample paper?

This page shows a complete NURS 215 Week 2 title page and abstract for a heart failure pathophysiology paper, with a topic note, free to read.

How long is the NURS 215 abstract?

Between 150 and 250 words in current APA format, placed on its own page after the title page, stating the purpose and scope of the research paper.

What disease can I choose for the NURS 215 research paper?

Any disease covered in Modules/Weeks 1 through 8 of the course, together with a topic that will affect your current nursing practice.

What is heart failure with reduced ejection fraction?

Heart failure in which the left ventricular ejection fraction is 40% or less, with progressive ventricular dilation and adverse remodeling, often driven by chronic neurohormonal activation.

Use it as a model, or ask for your own

This paper is an original model written by our desk for study. It is not a submitted student paper and not an official Liberty University document. Read it for structure and reasoning, then write your own to the instructions in your Canvas course. If you want a version built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.

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