Role Of Delegation In Nursing

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DELEGATION A registered nurse (RN) has many responsibilities. One of the most important is delegation. The RN has the authority to delegate certain tasks in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their patients. Delegating tasks to others allows more time for the RN to focus on more critical aspects of patient care that only a RN can perform. Delegation is transferring a task from one person to another making them responsible for the task but the RN is still accountable for the outcome of that particular task. For an example, an RN can delegate the task of changing the position of a patient every two hours to a licensed practitioner nurse (LPN) or unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). The LPN…show more content…
This principle states that an RN can delegate elements of care but not the nursing process itself. The RN is accountable for the nursing process. The RN should take into account the skills and knowledge of the UAP or LPN that will be completing the delegated task. Only the tasks that the RN feels the UAP or LPN has knowledge and skills to perform should be delegated. To properly delegate the ANA states that RN’s should use critical thinking and professional judgment when using the five rights to delegation. The five rights are: “the right task, under the right circumstances, to the right person, with the right direction and communication, and under the right supervision and evaluation” (NCSBN,…show more content…
The RN must follow up with the person that he or she delegated too. The RN cannot make the assumption that the task was performed. The RN should then seek for feedback related to the delegated task. If the task was not performed correctly, the RN must intervene and instruct the assistant personnel or redelegate. Overall the RN is still accountable for the outcome of the task. Per the South Carolina Board of Nursing “ the frequency with which direct supervision is provided is dependent upon the setting, the client’s status, the complexity of the delegated tasks, the risks to the client, and the proximity of the licensed nurse” (SCBON,

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