Republic of the Philippines

BILIRAN PROVINCE STATE UNIVERSITY

(formerly Naval State University)
ISO 9001: 2015 CERTIFIED
School of Nursing and Health Sciences

NCM- 418 Nursing Leadership and Management I

TASK #13
In your own clinical experience in various settings, is proper delegation of
responsibilities observed in the clinical area?
- By definition, delegation is the reassigning of responsibility for the
performance of a job from one person to another (American Nurses
Association [ANA], 1996). RNs maintain accountability for supervising those
to whom tasks are delegated (ANA, 2005).
- During our clinical duty in hospital, I observed that the nursing staff they have
a proper delegation of responsibilities in clinical areas. As a nursing students
often interact with patient care during our clinical experience, learning to
collaborate will foster successful patient outcomes. As a nursing student we
need to acquire the competency to delegate appropriate tasks to patient care
over the course of our training. As a nursing student must learn how to
effectively delegate to maintain patient safety, because ineffective delegation
can lead to missed care and negative patient outcomes.
1. Identify at least 3 tasks/responsibilities delegated by the nurse – supervisor to the
staff nurses. Do you think this is proper delegation? Why or why not?
- Five Rights of Delegation
 Right Task
 Right Circumstance
 Right Person
 Right Direction/Communication
 Right Supervision/Evaluation

- Nurse-related principles are also designated by the ANA. These are important
when considering what tasks may be delegated and to whom. These
principles are:
 The RN has the duty to be accountable for personal actions related to
the nursing process.
 The RN considers the knowledge and skills of any ancillary personnel
to whom aspects of care are delegated.
 Republic of the Philippines
BILIRAN PROVINCE STATE UNIVERSITY
(formerly Naval State University)
ISO 9001: 2015 CERTIFIED
School of Nursing and Health Sciences

 The decision to delegate or assign is based on the RN’s judgment

regarding the following: the condition of the client; the competence of
the members of the nursing team; the amount of supervision that will
be required of the RN if a task is delegated.
 The RN uses critical thinking and professional judgment when
following the Five Rights of Delegation delineated by the National
Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN).
 The RN recognizes that a relational aspect exists between delegation
and communication. Communication needs to be culturally
appropriate, and the individual receiving the communication should be
treated with respect.
 Chief nursing officers are responsible for creating systems to assess,
monitor, verify, and communicate continuous competence
requirements in areas related to delegation.
 RNs monitor organizational policies, procedures, and job descriptions
to ensure they are in compliance with the nurse practice act, consulting
 with the state board of nursing as needed (ANA, 2005, p. 6)

Yes, for me it is proper delegation. Because before deciding who should care for
a particular client, the nurse must assess each client’s particular needs, set
client-specific goals, and match the skills of the person assigned with the tasks
that need to be accomplished the assessment. Thinking this through before
delegating helps prevent problems later w/c is to plan. Next, the nurse assigns
the tasks to the appropriate person implementation. The nurse must then
oversee the care and determine whether client care needs have been met the
evaluation. It is also important for the nurse to allow time for feedback during the
day. This enables all personnel to see where they are and where they want to go.
 Republic of the Philippines
BILIRAN PROVINCE STATE UNIVERSITY
(formerly Naval State University)
ISO 9001: 2015 CERTIFIED
School of Nursing and Health Sciences

2. Identify at least 3 common errors in delegation observed in the clinical areas. Justify
your answer.
ERRORS IN DELEGATION

1. Under delegation

The manager may become over worked and overwhelmed. This frequently comes from
his/her assumption that delegation may be interpreted as the lack of ability on his/her
part to do a correct or complete job. Another frequent cause for under delegating is the
manager desire to ‘do the whole job by myself’ because of the belief that he/she needs
experience or the belief that he/she can do it better and faster than anyone else.

2. Over delegation

Some managers over delegate as they are poor monitors of time and spend most of
their time just trying to get organized. Others over delegate because they feel insecure
in their ability to perform a task

3. Improper delegation

It includes delegating at the wrong time, wrong person for a wrong reason. It may
include assigning the task and responsibility that are beyond the capability of the person

Because of the nature of the work, there is little room for error when nurses delegate.
As a student nurse it can’t test new skills during duties and evaluate the outcomes
because if anything goes wrong, it can mean life or death. As a student nurse has to
use proven techniques that they have practiced and tested in a safe environment that
does not impact the patient.
When effective delegation skills are used in a healthcare setting, patients, nurses, and
employers will benefit. These skills can be taught and sharpened over time to improve
efficiency while ensuring patients receive the best possible care. Consider training
opportunities for teaching delegation skills so nurses can practice them in a safe
environment before confidently deploying them in a healthcare setting.