Delegated Tasks
A regulated care provider asks you to take and record a resident's blood pressure after providing instruction and supervision.
What is: a delegated task?
These are the basic care activities that HCAs are educated and trained to perform as part of their regular role.
What are HCA tasks?
These activities are identified in legislation as higher-risk procedures requiring authorization.
What are: restricted activites?
Shift reports, huddles, and phone calls are examples of this important process.
What is communication?
This should always be your top priority when carrying out any task.
What is: clients safety?
Before performing a delegated task, you must understand the procedure, your responsibilities, and when to seek help.
What is: ensuring Competence and accountibilty?
Bathing, dressing, grooming, and eating are examples of these activities
What are: ADLS?
This is the reason an HCA cannot independently perform restricted activities.
what is: Outside their scope of practise?
HCAs should promptly communicate changes in a client's condition to this person.
Who is the supervising nurse or appropriate care team member?
If a client experiences an adverse reaction during a delegated task, this should happen immediately.
What is reporting the situation to the supervising nurse or regulated care provider?
This regulated care provider commonly delegates appropriate restricted activities to HCAs.
What is: a Registered nurse?
Shopping, meal preparation, housekeeping, and managing appointments are examples of these activities
what are: IADLS?
HCAs have an obligation to know these before accepting delegated tasks.
What are relevant legislation, competencies, and employer policies?
Effective communication helps prevent this from occurring in client care
What is missing important information?
HCAs should never continue a delegated task if this is lacking.
What is adequate knowledge, skill, or instruction?
Before accepting a delegated task, an HCA must confirm they are competent to perform it, understand the instructions, and ensure it complies with this.
What are the relevant legislation, employer policies, and delegated-task requirements?
HCAs must stay within this and not perform activities they are not authorized or trained to do
What is: Their scope of practise?
Performing a task beyond one's competence could place these at risk.
What are client safety and professional accountability?
After completing a delegated task, HCAs should provide this to the supervising professional.
What is timely reporting and documentation of observations/results?
Following reporting protocols helps maintain this in healthcare settings
What is safe and effective care?
Even after delegation, responsibility for ongoing assessment and nursing judgment remains with this regulated professional.
What is: the professional who delegated the task?
This guides HCAs when they are unsure whether a task is appropriate for them to perform.
What are employer policies, legislation, and competency requirements?
If a task exceeds legal limits or employer policy, the HCA should do this
What is refuse the task and report concerns to the appropriate supervisor?
An HCA is asked to perform a task they have never been trained to do, which is not allowed by agency policy and involves a restricted activity.
Question: What should the HCA do?
Refuse the task, explain the concern, consult the supervising nurse or manager, and follow employer policy to ensure client safety.
Recognizing and reporting safety concerns demonstrates this professional responsibility.
What is accountability?