Question

Delegation and Leadership

Differentiate between delegating and assigning tasks. Outline step by step how you would use the nursing process to evaluate the criteria for assigning a task to unlicensed assistive personnel.

Answer 1

Assigning work tasks means doing "business as usual" i.e. telling people to do things that are already in their job description, which they know how to do and are doing on a regular basis. It is the downward or lateral transfer of the responsibility while retaining accountability for the outcome of an activity from one individual to another. While delegating is basically giving instructions for tasks that are either new areas for the employees or are areas of the job that require training for helping them learn and perform. Further, delegation means transferring of the authority to perform a selected task to a competent individual in a selected situation.

Prior to the delegation of the nursing task to unlicensed assistive personnel, the nurse should determine that the unlicensed person is trained in the task and is determined to be competent. The criteria for delegation; determining the nursing care needs of the patient. Retaining of the responsibility and accountability for the nursing care of the patient such as; nursing assessment, planning, evaluation, and nursing documentation.