Class 12 - Delegation Flashcards
What is delegation
- getting through work through others
- directing performance of one or more people
- transferring to competent individual the authority to perform selected nursing tasks
- complex, requires insight and judgment
Example of delegation situations
- manager to employee
- RN to RN/LPN
- RN to UAP
Manager to employee delegation, why do it?
- frees the manager to handle problems that are more complex or require higher level of expertise
- provides learning or ‘stretching’ opportunities for subordinates
- when employees has better expertise or knowledge
Delegation expectation (manager to employee)
- you are accountable for what you delegate
- establish check-in times & follow up
- reward subordinates for jobs well done
- don’t just delegate boring jobs
Are you responsible for a delegated task, even if it was not done?
YES! Hence why it is so important to ensure that who you delegate to is going to ACTUALLY do it
How does one assign work delegation?
ask rather than tell, but leave no doubt that you expect compliance
What duties and steps are involved in assigning work delegation
- follow oral communication w/ an email
- keep copy of the email
- state when you will check in & put it in your calendar
What are the types of delegating
under, over, and improperly
Why do people over delegate
- people who can manage their time/work
- lazy…
- insecure (passing it on to someone who knows more about a task, but doing it too often)
Why do people improperly delegate
not educated on how to delegate (following the 5 rights)
Why do people under delegate
- fear (to ask, to come off as authoritative)
- don’t trust people to do the tasks (r/t to building trust)
Examples of delegation tasks from RN to RN/LPN/HCA
- making up patient assignments
- working in a team w/ LPN or HCA
- delegating tasks to LPN or HCA
What happens if an employee that you delegated to makes an error
you might be negligent if you didn’t delegate correctly or didn’t supervise correctly
What are employer responsibilities regarding delegation
- know policies and procedures regarding who can delegate to whom
- determine what procedures can delegated
- select suitable employees
- provide adequate education and supervision
What are RNs accountable for in the responsibilities regarding delegation
- decision to delegate care
- determining that the provider has the necessary knowledge and skills to perform the task safely and compentently
- ongoing assessment of the client and the task
