If you have talked to a registered nurse (RN) about their satisfaction with their job most of them have the same complaint. Their workload is too much and they do not have enough time to care for their patients as they would like. With shortages of RNs and companies looking to save money by hiring more licensed vocational nurses (LVN) or unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP), many RNs are getting overwhelmed. It is essential that RNs learn how to use the resources available to them. The art of effectively delegating tasks to other healthcare staff provide better care for the patient. The American Nurses Association (ANA) and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) adopted papers on delegation. Both papers presented the same message:
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In delegation, work is divided among co-workers and the responsibility and authority for performing the task or activity is transferred to the assistive personnel however, the accountability still falls on the RN that delegated the task. According to the Board of Registered Nursing (1991), when delegating tasks to a subordinate it is essential that the RN knows the capability of the worker. Not all licensees have the same amount of education and experience. This means that RNs have an obligation to assure that subordinates are clinically competent to perform the functions delegated to …show more content…
The first is the right task specific for each client. The delegated tasks needs to be appropriate for the levels of training for the delegatee based on standards of practice, legal and facility guidelines. The second right is the right circumstance. You have to assess the status and care required by the client and match the skill level and workload of the health care team member. The third right is the right person. You need to verify the competency of the health care team member, the task must be within the team member’s scope of practice and training. If the delegatee is not trained in the task it may lead to patient injury. LVNs need to stay in their scope of practice during medication administrations and never give any medication through IV. The RN needs to assess the delegatee for competency in administering medications so medication errors are avoided. The fourth task is the right direction and communication. The RN needs to communicate what data need to be collected, timeline for reporting, concerns and findings. The expectations need to be client-specific and provide follow-up communication. The fifth right is the right supervision and evaluation. The delegating nurse must provide supervision, clear directions and expectations. The delegating nurse also needs to monitor performance and provide timely feedback and when needed intervene if unsafe conditions are seen. At the end of the task
In delegation, work is divided among co-workers and the responsibility and authority for performing the task or activity is transferred to the assistive personnel however, the accountability still falls on the RN that delegated the task. According to the Board of Registered Nursing (1991), when delegating tasks to a subordinate it is essential that the RN knows the capability of the worker. Not all licensees have the same amount of education and experience. This means that RNs have an obligation to assure that subordinates are clinically competent to perform the functions delegated to …show more content…
The first is the right task specific for each client. The delegated tasks needs to be appropriate for the levels of training for the delegatee based on standards of practice, legal and facility guidelines. The second right is the right circumstance. You have to assess the status and care required by the client and match the skill level and workload of the health care team member. The third right is the right person. You need to verify the competency of the health care team member, the task must be within the team member’s scope of practice and training. If the delegatee is not trained in the task it may lead to patient injury. LVNs need to stay in their scope of practice during medication administrations and never give any medication through IV. The RN needs to assess the delegatee for competency in administering medications so medication errors are avoided. The fourth task is the right direction and communication. The RN needs to communicate what data need to be collected, timeline for reporting, concerns and findings. The expectations need to be client-specific and provide follow-up communication. The fifth right is the right supervision and evaluation. The delegating nurse must provide supervision, clear directions and expectations. The delegating nurse also needs to monitor performance and provide timely feedback and when needed intervene if unsafe conditions are seen. At the end of the task