Delegation: Nursing and Independent Living Environments
Delegation--Authorizing an unlicensed person to provide nursing services while retaining accountability for how the unlicensed person performs the task. It does not include situations in which an unlicensed person is directly assisting a RN by carrying out nursing tasks in the presence of a RN.
Unlicensed person--An individual, not licensed as a health care provider
Verifies that the unlicensed person can properly and adequately perform the delegated task without jeopardizing the client's welfare; and
The following standards must be met before the RN delegates nursing tasks to unlicensed persons. These criteria apply to all instances of RN delegation. Additional criteria, if appropriate to the particular task being delegated, may also be found in §224.8(b)(1) of this title (relating to Discretionary Delegation Tasks). (1) The RN must make an assessment of the client's nursing care needs. The RN should, when the client's status allows, consult with the client, and when appropriate the client's family and/or significant other(s), to identify the client's nursing needs prior to delegating nursing tasks. (2) The nursing task must be one that a reasonable and prudent RN would find is within the scope of sound nursing judgment to delegate. The RN should consider the five rights of delegation: the right task, the right person to whom the delegation is made, the right circumstances, the right direction and communication by the RN, and the right supervision as determined by the RN. (3) The nursing task must be one that, in the opinion of the delegating RN, can be properly and safely performed by the unlicensed person involved without jeopardizing the client's welfare. (4) The nursing task must not require the unlicensed person to exercise professional nursing judgment; however, the unlicensed person may take any action that a reasonable, prudent non-health care professional would take in an emergency situation. (5) The unlicensed person to whom the
Unlicensed person--An individual, not licensed as a health care provider
Verifies that the unlicensed person can properly and adequately perform the delegated task without jeopardizing the client's welfare; and
The following standards must be met before the RN delegates nursing tasks to unlicensed persons. These criteria apply to all instances of RN delegation. Additional criteria, if appropriate to the particular task being delegated, may also be found in §224.8(b)(1) of this title (relating to Discretionary Delegation Tasks). (1) The RN must make an assessment of the client's nursing care needs. The RN should, when the client's status allows, consult with the client, and when appropriate the client's family and/or significant other(s), to identify the client's nursing needs prior to delegating nursing tasks. (2) The nursing task must be one that a reasonable and prudent RN would find is within the scope of sound nursing judgment to delegate. The RN should consider the five rights of delegation: the right task, the right person to whom the delegation is made, the right circumstances, the right direction and communication by the RN, and the right supervision as determined by the RN. (3) The nursing task must be one that, in the opinion of the delegating RN, can be properly and safely performed by the unlicensed person involved without jeopardizing the client's welfare. (4) The nursing task must not require the unlicensed person to exercise professional nursing judgment; however, the unlicensed person may take any action that a reasonable, prudent non-health care professional would take in an emergency situation. (5) The unlicensed person to whom the