Importance Of Delegation In Nursing

Abstract Delegation is defined by Merriam Webster as “The act of giving control, authority, a job, a duty, etc. to another person” (Delegation, n.d.). Proper delegation saves time, develops skills, and helps to achieve tasks and goals. Improper delegation will cause confusion, frustration or and unresolved task management. Delegation is important for efficient leadership and management, and is a key function of nursing. Delegation of acts beyond those taught in the basic educational program for the licensed practical nurse should be based upon a conscious decision of the registered nurse. Delegation of nursing care is an expression that describes parameters for nursing delegation. These parameters are defined by the State Nurse Practice
The initial step is to assess the patient and the plan of care. It is then important to identify tasks that someone else can perform within their scope of practice. These steps must be directly related to the condition or conditions the patient is suffering from and provide the support they need to understand and cope with their ailment or condition. The final steps are to implement the plan of care and assign and supervise task performance. This implementation must be strictly followed to ensure that the proper steps associated with the care plan are carefully followed thereby increasing the quality of care and the morale of the patient as they undergo treatment.( Journal of Nursing Regulation; Apr2016, Vol. 7 Issue 1, p5-14,
The five rights are as follows: Right Task, Right Circumstance, Right Person, Right Communication, and Right Supervision. The Right task refers to tasks that are repetitively performed, requiring minimal problem solving or innovation. Right Circumstance is to process and assess the health status of the client, analyze the data and identify collective nursing needs, priorities, and needed resources. Right person ensures that the appropriate individual is delegating the right tasks to the most competent staff available that will be performing the right task on the right patient. Right communication is what is said to the patient and to the staff providing care. Right supervision entails putting the proper person in the proper place to watch over the entire care process, thereby mitigating any issues that may arise due to any misunderstanding or misinformation arising from the caregivers’ point of view. Right supervision is very important in ensuring a high quality and continuity of care. (Zerwkh, Garneau