Delegation is defined as entrusting a task to another individual while remaining accountable for the result (Mullen, 2014). According to the principles of delegation, an RN may delegate certain areas of care as long as they do not delegate the nursing process itself (Kelly, 2012). In addition, the RN needs to ensure (prior to delegation) that the individual that the task has been delegated to has the proper certification/training to perform the delegated task (Kelly, 2012). Based on the five rights of delegation (the right task, the right circumstance, the right person, the right direction and communication and the right supervision and evaluation), I would delegate the bathing, toileting, bed making, ambulation, transport, positioning, feeding …show more content…
and measuring of intake and output for Mrs. A, Mr. R, Ms. Q and Mr. S to the Nursing Assistive Personnel (NAP). I would also assign the nursing students to assist the UAP with the above-mentioned tasks in addition to assisting with the transport of Mrs. A to the Doppler flow study and taking the blood pressure of all the patients mentioned above. In addition, I would have the nursing student take Mrs. Q’s blood pressure manually, to get a more accurate reading since her blood pressure is very high. I would delegate the wound care and documentation of Mr. R’s arterial ulcer to the Licensed Nurse Practitioner (LPN). Since this tasks falls under the LPN’s scope of practice, I would feel very comfortable in delegating this task to the LPN. As far as assessments, patient teaching, administering medications, starting IV’s and interpreting and reporting lab results are concerned, these tasks would be handled solely by me (Kelly, 2012). Upon obtaining report, I would immediately go to and continue constant monitoring of Ms. Q and Mr. S, as their conditions are a bit more serious. I had a difficult time delegating a patient to the LPN.
In Florida, the LPN’s are allowed to administer IV medications. However, it is unclear whether the medications can be pain medications or regular medications only. Along with giving pain medications comes patient education on the medications that are being given to the patient. Besides a doctor, an RN is the only one that can perform this task. It is for this reason that I did not feel comfortable delegating administering of medications to the LPN. I also found it difficult to delegate Ms. Q to anyone other than me due to her unstable blood pressure. I felt I was the only one who should be responsible for this patient. A potential barrier could be unhealthy attitude such as the NAP not wanting to assist a patient with a bedpan and clean up due to it being beneath them. This is a problem that I have encountered on several occasions in the clinical setting. Lastly, another potential barrier would be trust. Trusting the delegated task to be completed correctly with patient safety in mind at all times. If delegation is done correctly, the entire team is liable and “will end up in a worse place they started in” (Ellis, 2015, p. 71).
In conclusion, delegation is a complex task. The RN must ensure that the individual the task is being delegated to has the proper certification, knowledge and would report any findings back to the RN. As mentioned above, sometimes there are barriers that impede the ability to effectively delegate. The overall goal of successful delegation depends on working relationships, constant communication, and “a willingness to collaborate” (Potter, Deshields, and Kuhrik (2010, p.
157). References Ellis, P. (2015). Leadership and management: Delegating for success. Wounds UK, 11(2), 70-71. Kelly, P. (2012). Nursing leadership & management (3rd ed.). Clifton Park, NJ: Delmar, Cengage Learning. Look for edition Mullen, C. (2014). Accountability and delegation explained. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, 8(9), 450-453. Potter, P., Deshields, T., & Kuhrik, M. (2010). Delegation practices between registered nurses and nursing assistive personnel. Journal of Nursing Management, 18(2), 157-165. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2834.2010.01062.x
After reading the segment of your exposition on the four spheres of political action in nursing one particular detail drew my attention and that was that an organization is not strictly delineated as a facility we are employed by but also as a group of interest. With that in mind, it would be imperative to recognize numerous committees established in the VA to improve and regulate nursing care. For example, I have been part of Veterans' Education group which is focused on maintaining updated information resources available to patients as well as organizing beneficial events to disseminate vital information necessary for prevention and maintenance of wellness. Furthermore, I cannot omit the most valuable to my profession the Certified Diabetes
Additionally, the LPN cannot push medications into a peripheral intravenous line if the patient “weighs less than 80 lbs, is prenatal, pediatric, or antepartum”, although given that the situation is on a general med-surg floor it is unlikely these patients would be under Sarah’s care at this time. (Rules and Regulations of Practical Nurses. 2015) Sarah can delegate the postoperative patients who need dressing changes and ambulating them to the LPN, but Sarah should assess the wounds for complications initially and serve as resource to the LPN if she has questions about the wounds. Additionally, she could help the nursing assistant with answering calls and serve as a reference for the nursing assistant to ask questions or help with tasks if Sarah is not available. With regards to supervision, the LPN would need continuous supervision given that the working relationship is new. (Cherry and Jacob, 2014) Sarah should be available and willing to answer any questions or address any concerns the LPN
...estions if not 100% sure of something or use a double checking system. When a nurse is administrating medication, they should use the ten rights of medication administration (right patient, right drug, right route, right time, right dose, right documentation, right action, right form, right response, and right to refuse). Nurses should always keep good hand hygiene and always wear appropriate clothing to prevent from the spread of disease. Good communication with patients and healthcare team members is also key to success. Keeping on the eye on the patient within an appropriate time is important. If the patient ever seems to be looking different than their usual self vitals should be taken immediately. Encouraging patients to ask questions if they are unaware of something can prevent errors as well. Nurses should make sure the patient is on the same page as they are.
and giving medicine and IVs. A RN makes sure the patient has knowledge of their situation and
One of the vitals skill required by the Registered Nurse is the skill to assign tasks to subordinates (Saccomanos and Pinto-Zipp 2011). When tasks are delegated to subordinates, the RN remains accountable (Nursing and Midwifery Council 2008). On the other hand, an individual who has been given a task also bears responsibility for the task and is answerable to the RN. Hence, delegation involves “responsibility, accountability and authority” (Sullivan & Decker 2005, p. 144). This essay will examine the role of the registered nurse in relation to delegation. Areas that would be discussed includes definitions of delegation, benefits, types of delegaton, nursing process in relation to delegation, common mistakes of delegation, five rights of delegation and barriers to delegation. At the end, it would give a conclusion and also a statement of my learning.
The American Nurses association defines delegation as, ‘The transfer of responsibility for the performance of a task from one individual to another while retaining accountability for the outcome’ (Saccomano, 2010, p. 523). When delegating to staff or members of your team, it is important that it is used appropriately and within the proper guidelines. It is common to see RNs delegating in the hospital setting to the LVN or nursing assistant, however, the RN must know the limitations and what is within their scope of practice. Unfortunately, even if the nurse uses these guidelines, conflict can still occur with other staff making the process more difficult. Having the responsibility to delegate, especially as a new registered nurse, can be daunting,
Lorber, M., Treven, S., & Mumel, D. (2016). The Examination of Factors Relating to the Leadership Style of Nursing Leaders in Hospitals. Our Economy (Nase Gospodarstvo), 62(1), 27-36. doi:10.1515/ngoe-2016-0003
Delegation is the being able to pass the responsibility or authority to another person. This act of delegation is important in the outcome of patient care (Yoon,2016). As discussed to be able to have well developed leadership and management skills a good aid of communication has to be developed. In the workplace environment being able to effectively delegate without having appropriate communication skills therefore emotional intelligence the ongoing care of the patient can be threatened and errors can occur. However, being able to effectively do so enable the patient outcomes to be achieved ( Wong,2013). These skills aid in importance as newly graduate nurses receive student nurses to mentor and supervise. Being able to supervise and manage a student nurse contains having a well-developed leadership and management skills ( Jones,2013). The role of a mentor includes assessing and evaluating the students’ performance, providing supervision and having accountability of the students action( royal college of nursing, 2007). This role a graduate nurse must have an area of leadership and management skills. As If these skills aren't developed the student nurse not only will lack mentorship but also the lack of guidance and supervision can impact on the patients care (
nursing assistants. All the delegation needs to be within the scope of practice. The registered
As a provider of care an AD nurse uses a systematic approach in all areas. Using the process of assessment, analysis, implementation, and evaluation the nurse is able to be consistent and efficient when providing care. As a provider of care the AD nurse must assess a patient’s health status, gather medical history, plan, coordinate, and implement care. The nurse will use continual assessment and evaluation in order to ensure the best outcome for the patient. The AD nurse must develop a therapeutic relationship with the patient in order to effectively treat and provide advocacy. During my clinical rotation I was able to implement many of these steps. I provided daily physical assessments, took vital signs, implemented hygiene care, fed patients, re-positioned patients and changed bed linens. During each shift I was respons...
According to American Nurses Association (ANA), (2010) “the nurse promotes, advocates for and strives to protect the heath, safety and right of the patient” (p. 6). Nursing responsibilities should be acted at the highest standard and must be based on legal and ethical obligations.
Drug administration forms a major part of the clinical nurse’s role. Medicines are prescribed by the doctor and dispensed by the pharmacist but responsibility for correct administration rests with the registered nurse (O'Shea 1999). So as a student nurse this has become my duty and something that I need to practice and become competent in carrying it out. Each registered nurse is accountable for his/her practice. This practice includes preparing, checking and administering medications, updating knowledge of medications, monitoring the effectiveness of treatment, reporting adverse drug reactions and teaching patients about the drugs that they receive (NMC 2008). Accountability also goes for students, if at any point I felt I was not competent enough to dispensing a certain drug it would be my responsibility in speaking up and let the registered nurses know, so that I could shadow them and have the opportunity to learn help me in future practice and administration.
There are many themes that present in literature about delegation. American Nurses Association(ANA) defines delegation as the transfer of responsibility for the performance of a task from one person to another. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing(NCBSN) defines delegation as transferring to a competent individual the authority to perform a selected nursing task in a selected situation. I think delegation is a skill that needs to get proficient. Kleinman and Saccomano(2006) state that the nurse must be taught delegation skills, both in academic and clinical settings. The use of unlicensed assisted personnel(UAP) or licensed practical nurse(LPN) is essential in todays health care because of the increased acquity of patients and increased custom-service approach.
According to Breau and RÉAume (2014), some of the major reasons nurses are dissatisfied with their jobs is due to their salaries, work environment, and lack of educational and advancement opportunities. In fact, poor working conditions was a substantial predictor of a nurse’s intent to quit their job (p. 16). In addition, “unhealthy work environments are an important determinant of several work-related outcomes, including burnout, job dissatisfaction and turnover intent” (Breau & RÉAume, 2014, p. 17). Therefore, in order for nurses to overcome their dissatisfaction with work; nurse leaders need to create empowering environments that remove barriers to resources and information. In turn, nurses will then be able to share empowerment strategies,
After the handover, I was asked by my mentor to attend to a patient who is bed ridden to have her personal care done with the assistance of one of the health care assistant staff. The patient was recently admitted to the ward and she looks sc...