Delegation Basics
What is delegation?
Transferring the performance of a task to another team member while retaining accountability for the outcome.
Who are licensed personnel?
Nurses who have completed nursing education and passed the PN or RN exam.
What are the five rights of delegation?
Right task
right circumstances
right person
right direction and communication
right supervision and evaluation
Which tasks can APs perform?
ADLs, vital signs for stable clients, intake and output, ambulation, grooming.
Which of the following is a component of the five rights of delegation?
Right supervision and evaluation; right direction and communication; right circumstances.
What is supervision in nursing?
Directing, monitoring, and evaluating the performance of delegated tasks.
What does AP or NAP stand for?
Assistive personnel or nursing assistive personnel.
Which right ensures the task is appropriate and routine?
Right task.
Which tasks can PNs perform?
Tracheostomy care, suctioning, enteral feedings, urinary catheter insertion, medication administration (per policy).
An AP threatens a client during care. What should the RN do?
Intervene immediately and report unsafe practice.
Who retains accountability when a task is delegated?
The licensed nurse who delegated the task.
Which personnel may include CNAs, CMAs, dialysis techs, and phlebotomists?
Unlicensed assistive personnel (AP).
Which right focuses on the client’s stability and setting?
Right circumstances.
Which tasks cannot be delegated to PNs or APs?
Nursing process, client education, and tasks requiring nursing judgment.
What information should the RN give an AP when delegating ambulation after knee surgery?
Use of walker, pain medication timing, and ambulation instructions.
What law must nurses follow when delegating tasks?
The state nurse practice act.
To whom can RNs delegate tasks?
RNs, PNs, and APs.
Which right ensures the delegatee is competent and within scope?
Right person.
Who should be assigned a client returning from PACU after thoracic surgery?
Registered nurse (RN).
When is it inappropriate to delegate vital signs to an AP?
When the client is unstable or recently required emergency intervention.
What type of tasks should RNs delegate to allow completion of higher-level RN responsibilities?
Routine, predictable tasks that do not require nursing judgment.
To whom can PNs delegate tasks?
Other PNs and APs.
Which right requires the nurse to monitor outcomes and intervene if needed?
Right supervision and evaluation.
Who may administer enteral feedings to a client with a head injury?
Practical nurse (PN).
A nurse delegates ambulation before completing an admission assessment. Which right of delegation was violated?
Right supervision and evaluation.