Delegation
These are known as the "Five Rights" of delegation.
What are Right Task, Right Circumstance, Right Person, Right Direction/Communication, and Right Supervision/Evaluation?
This legal document allows a client to name a specific person to make healthcare decisions if the client becomes incapacitated.
What is a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare (or Healthcare Proxy)?
This three-letter acronym is the "gold standard" for determining which client a nurse should see first.
What is ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation)?
This is the nurse's role when a client decides they no longer want a scheduled surgery, even after the surgeon explained it.
What is Client Advocate? (Support the client's right to refuse).
This is the process of coordinating care to ensure a smooth transition from the hospital to the home or a facility.
What is Discharge Planning?
This is the most appropriate task to delegate to an Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP) for a stable client.
What are ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) like bathing, feeding, or ambulating?
This ethical principle refers to the nurse's obligation to "do no harm."
What is Nonmaleficence?
Using Maslow’s Hierarchy, the nurse would prioritize a client with this type of need over a client needing "Self-Esteem" support.
What are Physiological needs (Oxygen, Water, Food)?
Before a client signs an Informed Consent form, the nurse must ensure the client has received all information from this person.
Who is the Provider (Physician/Surgeon)?
Discharge planning should ideally begin at this point in the client's stay.
What is upon admission?
This is the only person responsible for the outcome of a task once it has been delegated.
Who is the delegating nurse (the PN)?
If a nurse performs a procedure on a client without their consent, they could be charged with this legal tort.
What is Battery?
Between a client with chronic pain and a client who is 2 hours post-op with a sudden change in mental status, the nurse sees this one first.
Who is the post-op client with mental status changes? (Acute beats Chronic).
If a client leaves the hospital against medical advice (AMA), the nurse’s primary responsibility is to do this.
What is notify the provider and document that the client was informed of the risks?
This type of report is used when a "near miss" or a medication error occurs to identify system failures.
What is an Incident Report (or Variance/Occurrence Report)?
A PN should never delegate this "step" of the nursing process to a UAP.
What is Evaluation (or Assessment/Judgment)?
This federal law requires healthcare providers to protect the privacy and security of a client’s health information.
What is HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)?
In a mass casualty triage situation, a client with a "Red Tag" indicates this level of priority.
What is Emergent (Life-threatening but treatable)?
This document outlines the expectations and rights of a client while hospitalized, including the right to privacy and informed consent.
What is the Patient’s Bill of Rights?
This interdisciplinary team member is the best resource for a client who needs help navigating financial resources or finding home equipment.
Who is the Social Worker (or Case Manager)?
When delegating to a UAP, the PN must provide these four specific elements in the "Right Direction."
What are the data to be collected, specific method, time to be completed, and when to report back?
This is the nurse's primary legal responsibility when they suspect a colleague is practicing under the influence of substances.
What is reporting the behavior to the nurse manager/supervisor immediately?
When receiving a change-of-shift report, the PN identifies this as the highest priority: a client who is "stable" or a client who is "scheduled for discharge"?
What is neither? (The PN must look for the "unstable" or "systemic" risk client).
A PN is caring for a client who speaks a different language; this is the only appropriate person to use for medical interpretation.
Who is a certified medical interpreter? (Not family members).
When the PN is unsure if a specific task is within their scope of practice, they should consult this state-specific document.
What is the Nurse Practice Act (NPA)?