...Priorities and Delegation Paper Delegation and assignment of nursing activities are important parts of the implementation component of practice for the registered nurse and licensed practical nurse. The licensed nurse may delegate and assign nursing care activities to other licensed nurses or unlicensed assistive personnel. This is based on their own licensed level, assessment of the client’s status, clinical competence of licensed and unlicensed personnel, and factors in each practice setting. Before assigning and delegating nursing activities to staff, the nurse needs information about the staff so that they can confidently assign them to the patients. One must know the legal roles in RNs and LPNs before delegation can occur. Delegation by RNs and LPNs must be within their scope or practice. Duties and responsibilities vary in different states. According to the Massachusetts Nurse Practice Act in the state of Massachusetts, nurses may assign and delegate the UAP any activities that do not require nursing assessment and judgment during implementation. In addition, they can allow the UAP to collect, report, and document simple data. Furthermore, UAP may be involved in activities that assist the patient in meeting basic human needs such as nutrition, hydration, mobility, comfort, elimination, socialization, rest and hygiene. In the state of Massachusetts, there are four nursing activities that must not be delegated to the patients. These activities include...
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...------------------------------------------------- Does delegation help or hurt nursing? A Research Paper April 11, 2013 Fiona Molloy Dr. McDonnell HAS 420 April 11, 2013 Fiona Molloy Dr. McDonnell HAS 420 Fiona Molloy Dr. McDonnell/Bill Miller HSA 420 Does Delegation Help or Hurt Nursing? Chapter One: The History of Nursing. The first nursing school was established in India in about 250 B.C., and only men were permitted to attend because men were viewed to be more pure than women. If you think of a woman dressed in scrubs with a stethoscope around her neck and a clipboard in her hands, you aren’t alone. An overwhelming majority of nurses in the United States today are women. However, nursing began as a practice reserved for men. It wasn’t until the 1800's that nursing became an organized practice. During the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale and 38 volunteer nurses were sent to the main British camp in Turkey. Nightingale and her staff immediately began to clean the hospital and equipment and reorganized patient care. Nightingale pushed for reform of hospital sanitation methods and invented methods of graphing statistical data. When she returned to Britain, Nightingale aided in the establishment of the Royal Commission on the Health of the Army. As a woman, Nightingale could not be appointed to the Royal Commission, but she composed the Commission’s report. (Travel Nurses of America, 2010) Completed, the report was over 1,000 pages in length and included detailed...
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...Effective Delegation Erik Blashak Clarion University of PA Nurs 340: Nursing in Transition September 19, 2016 Effective Delegation as a Nurse Manager Gaudenzia, Common Ground is located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The facility is a 34 bed in-patient, non hospital, drug and alcohol rehabilitation. It is also licensed for dual diagnosed clients, and has a ten bed detoxification unit. There are ten female beds and twenty four male beds, including the detoxification clients. The client turnover rate is very high, and this adds pressure to the nursing department. There are two registered nurses and four licensed practical nurses on staff. At least one nurse is on duty twenty four hours a day. There is one nurse manager who works on the floor. The average nurse ratio is 17:1. The reason it is so high is because most clients are medically stable once they are done with detoxification. There are many nursing...
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...Intake and Output Delegation to an Unlicensed Assistive Personnel XXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXX University School of Nursing Nursing is an excellent career and one that is in very high demand. Many times, the workload required of nurses is too much to bare. When working as a nurse, it is often necessary to delegate tasks to others in order to provide the best possible care for a patient. Before delegating to assistive personnel, the nurse must make sure the assistant is competent in performing the desired task. All 5 rights of delegation must be met. These rights include the right task, circumstance, person, direction/communication, & supervision. There are some tasks that a nurse must not delegate to others. Those tasks include the assessment, planning, evaluation and nursing judgment of a patient (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 2004). These tasks are only within the RN’s scope of care and cannot be passed to other members of a team who are there to assist. This paper looks at the care of a 40-year-old male patient with cellulitis and type 2 diabetes. The monitoring of his intake and output are necessary and is an appropriate task to delegate to a nursing assistant. The reasons for delegating this task are the topic of this paper. Before the delegation is made to the assistant, a delegation decision-making grid was completed to assess the client’s level of stability and the assistant’s competence to see if delegation is appropriate for the patient. This tool...
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...Running Head: DELEGATION AND SUPERVISION Delegation and Supervision Delegation and Supervision In the area of nursing, delegation and supervision often go hand in hand. Supervising is providing guidance for a specific nursing task. A qualified nurse with the goal of making sure the task is accomplished properly and correctly does this supervision. Usually this is the job of a nurse manager and that person is liable for assigning, delegating and supervising of activities. If the manager fails to assign, delegate and supervise these activities within acceptable standards of nursing practice, she can be accused of malpractice. Delegation is assigning a task to another person who is competent and qualified to perform that task. Only the task can be delegated. The person performing the task must have the knowledge, skill, and judgment to complete it. According to Yoder-Wise (p. 65) delegation is the transfer of responsibility for the performance of an activity from one individual to another, with the delegator retaining accountability for the outcome. An example of this is when the RN delegates some of the patient ADL’s to a CNA or a tech. When the RN delegates these tasks, he/she retain the accountability and responsibility for making sure that that delegated tasks is actually completed in a competent manner. The benefits of delegating a task are that the RN has more time to complete the multitude of things on her work list. The barriers are that the...
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...& VALUES Delegation Orchid Quiton Chefalo Western Governors University Nursing Program 11/11/2011 Revised 11/30/2011 12/10/2011 SUBDOMAIN 724.7 - PROFESSIONAL ROLES & VALUES 2 Delegation It takes a team approach to manage patient-care. As a FNP, and a provider for this patient, she could collaborate with other experts and delegate care of the patient. The nursing supervisor for the clinic can aid the FNP to identify her role in the best utilization of the diverse workforce by facilitating the coordination of care by employing the experts and give an introduction of what services each specialty can offer to meet the needs of the patient. Examples of the roles of the diverse workforce are as follows: The LVN educator can give one to one instructions and education in pre-partum, intra- partum and post-partum care; The social worker can interview the patient’s life condition like the family dynamics and make appropriate recommendations for the patient to be successful at home; The community health RN, BSN can use her knowledge on what specific resources the patients needs within the facility and/or outside the community; The obstetrician can be consulted, and may expedite the care of the patient by making the recommendation to transfer to a higher level of care. As the nursing supervisor, it is a...
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...of view on several facets of nursing today. The information provided will speak to lessons learned in the Everest College Nursing program. Topics covered shall consist of a reflection of the personal nursing philosophy, impact and concepts of the Nursing Code of Ethics and how it applies to Nursing as a profession, the concept of patient centered care, use of technology in documentation, and the leadership aspects that are considered as a new graduate. Leadership aspects entail team leading, delegation, and role transition from graduate to RN. This is the point of view of the author and information given here will be both objective and subjective. Nursing Philosophy In a previous paper written, the reflection of this student’s own nursing philosophy seemed to coincide with that of Florence Nightingale as well as Dorothy Orem. Orem’s school of thought leans toward the nurse having a large hand in aiding a patient to achieve total self-sustainability. Dorothy Orem’s theory is actually three separate theories that work synergistically. These theories are the theory of self-care, theory of self-care deficit, and the theory of Nursing systems. This works well for a patient, when achieved, due to the self-care aspect. Someone whom is actively involved in their own progress displays an inherent will to do well by oneself. This promotes compliance which can be a large barrier in healthcare. Education is an extremely important aspect in all of nursing but even more so in this philosophy...
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...Delegation Paper Delegation Paper The definition of delegation, according to the medical-dictionary.com, is delegation of Administrative authority responsibility transfer to a person of lower license from the person of higher license, while remaining responsible for the actions of the outcome. The RN must have trust and confidence in the team members they are delegating to be able to delegate effectively and with minimal stress for themselves (Harris, 2007). With the determining of competence and appropriateness of the task to be delegated, there are many things to consider. According to the nursing practice act, the RN is authorized to delegate to lower licensed staff with ongoing supervision to help patients receive a quality of health care. The RN has to evaluate the patient for stability, condition, and abilities of the team to perform the task (Joint Statement on Delegation). One of the difficult responsibilities for an effective delegation of responsibilities is that the RN understands the families and patients need to be able to assign the right team member with a compatible personality. This is important because the family and the patient have to be able to trust the staff member assigned to them to help with managing care and having a RN, LPN, and CNA that work well as a team will benefit any and all patients. It has been stated, many times, in different articles, that the RN delegation skills are not checked off like the other clinical skills are the...
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...general guidelines of delegation are: * primary concern is to make sure that the patient is safe * you must know the job descriptions and abilities of the healthcare personnel and subordinates who you supervise * you must know facility policies and procedures * you must know your nurse practice act * you must delegate tasks to those who you know are capable of performing what you are assigning them to do * you base tasks that you delegate to others on your knowledge of the state nurse practice act, facility policies and facility job descriptions. * give directions for the task that are clear in order to avoid misunderstandings * give a deadline when you expect the task to be completed * ask the person to repeat back instructions to verify they have the directions correct if you suspect they do not understand what you are asking them to do * follow-up to make sure the task was completed correctly and by the deadline in order to evaluate the performance of the task (this is your supervision function) * provide praise when tasks are done well and within deadlines; provide feedback and criticism when necessary * assign same tasks to the same individuals if possible http://nclextestprep.com/delegation.html - points to ponder when considering delegation and nursing management of personnel. from the anderson nclex-rn review. this is more about delegation and prioritization of nursing task involving patients...
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...Continuing Education Effective Delegation: Understanding Responsibility, Authority, and Accountability Christine Mueller, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Amy Vogelsmeier, PhD, RN The obligation to provide safe, quality care creates challenges and concerns when registered nurses (RNs) delegate duties to unlicensed assistive personnel. These challenges and concerns are magnified in today’s health care environment of shrinking resources; patients with complex, chronic conditions; health care settings with high patient acuity rates; and the use of sophisticated technology. To make safe, effective delegation decisions, RNs must understand the responsibility, authority, and accountability related to delegation. Delegation decisions must be based on the fundamental principle of public protection. This article describes effective delegation by presenting the factors affecting delegation, explaining when and what an RN can delegate, and describing the delegation process. Learning Objectives ⦁ ⦁ ⦁ Identify three factors that affect delegation. Discuss what registered nurses can and cannot delegate. Explain the steps of the delegation process. N ursing’s Social Policy Statement (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2010), the Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (ANA, 2001), and individual state nurse practice acts (NPAs) underscore the responsibility, authority, and accountability of registered nurses (RNs) for their nursing practice. The RN’s obligation...
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...Delegation Example in a Healthcare Setting Abiola Edwards April22, 2010 Introduction * Definition of delegation * Delegation process * Delegation issue one faces at work * Stakeholders in their different roles * Choosing the right stakeholder * How to communicate with stakeholders * Conflict resolution * Feedback/ Evaluation * Recommendations * Summary * References My name is Sadie Edwards and I have over 10 years of nursing experience Definition of Delegation Delegation: Transferring to a competent individual the authority to perform a selected nursing task in a selected situation. The nurse retains accountability for the delegation. Concepts and Decision-Making Process National Council Position Paper, 1995 Most nurses would rather do the tasks themselves, but they can not perform all of them safely. According to Hansten & Jackson, “it is our responsibility to the patients we care for to ensure that they receive the best that we can offer by delegating wisely”. Delegation Process * Define the task * Select the individual or team * Assess ability and training needs * Explain the reasons * State required results * Consider resources required * Agree to deadline * Support and communicate * Feedback and results Alan Chapman, Delegation 1995-2009 The steps to successful delegation are: 1. To define the task, ask yourself if the task is right to be delegated. Does it meet the criteria...
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...The purpose of this paper is to take a look at a qualitative research study that was done by the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. This particular study titled Missed Nursing Care; A Qualitative Study, took a look at the most commonly missed nursing interventions and why they were missed. It also looked at the correlation to the omission and nurse to patient staffing ratios. This study is significant to nursing practice as a whole, because it affects patient outcomes, nursing satisfaction, as well as malpractice issues and hospital payouts. The hypothesis of the study stated there was a common theme in hospitals of repeated omissions in patient care and that it has a direct correlation to patient outcomes and hospital stay length. The study which was qualitative in nature, focused on two hospitals that were geographically separated and had a range of 210-458 occupied beds on a medical surgical unit at any given time. 107 RN’s, 15 LPN’s and 51 Nurse Assistants were assigned to 25 different focus groups. The research was designed so that the subjects were separated and promised confidentiality about their responses. The groups were further segregated so no retaliation could occur between the groups of workers, for instance RN’s could not be in a group with Nurse Assistants. In addition, they were also given the option to make responses on paper in secret to items they had fear of retaliation. Surprisingly, the same themes and reports came up time and time again in the...
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...Running head: ADN vs. BSN ADN vs. BSN ADN vs. BSN When I read the assignment for this paper, I thought the answers were clear cut and easy. As I was researching for the paper, I found that I was becoming extremely defensive in the cases where studies were attempting to prove Associate-Degree Registered Nurses were not as competent as Baccalaureate-Degree Registered Nurses. I felt personally attacked. When I asked myself why I was taking this course to further my education and proceed towards obtaining a Baccalaureate-Degree, the answers became clear and obvious once again. In researching the differences in competencies of nurses prepared at the associate-degree level verses the baccalaureate-degree in the nursing field there was little evidence to show a significant difference in initial practice. Both ADN and BSN nursing graduates are required to pass the same National Licensure Council Examination (NCLEX). BSN and ADN nurses initially practice at a similar level. (Davis-Martin & Skalak, 1992, p. 27). In the both ADN and BSN nursing programs students are prepared with courses in ethics, nursing process, critical thinking, accountability, and basic understanding of cultural diversity among the nursing curriculum. Yet there are some basic preparation differences. BSN prepared nurses are required to take courses in liberal arts and humanities which create a well diverse or well-rounded student. The BSN program also requires courses in community health, and more...
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...Educational Preparation Nurses can obtain their degrees in two ways in today’s educational environment. In order to obtain your nursing degree one must either complete an Associate Degree program or a Baccalaureate Degree program. Both degrees will allow you to sit for the NCLEX once you have completed and passed the specific degree program. After passing the State Boards, NCLEX, you can now call yourself a Nurse. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the differences in competencies between the two. Associates degree and Baccalaureate degree nurses have the same functions when it comes to caring for a patient. The difference is that the Associate Degree Nurse program is only two years, after prerequisites are completed. The program usually turns out to be about three to three and a half years of school. We can thank Dr. Mildred Montag for this program. Dr. Montag had described how a two-year associate degree nurse could prepare registered nurses and have them out in the work force quicker (Scheckel PhD, n.d.). Her thoughts were that these programs would be able to produce nurses with enough skill and nursing judgment to be able to provide care to patients in less time. It is said that the Associate degree program focuses more on the skills and nursing theory (Creasia & Friberg, 2011). Baccalaureate degree nurses are still RN’s. The difference is that these nurses are in the program for four years. The first two years are usually focused on general education at the...
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...and are looking for nurses that have a bachelor degree in nursing or are enrolled in a program in pursuit of a bachelor degree. Registered nurses are required to function with more independence in bedside care, delegation and supervision to unlicensed assistive personnel, and patient education. Passing the NCLEX-RN examination does not guarantee that all graduate entry-level nurses are prepared to practice nursing in hospitals. This examination does not differentiate between an associate degree program and baccalaureate program. The focus in this paper will be between the difference in education between the associate degree in nursing (ADN) and the baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN) ADN versus BSN Education Currently there are not enough students that have completed the BSN programs to fill the needs of the shortage of nurses in the nation. ADN programs are a length of two years compared to a BSN program which is 4 years. ADN programs have been active because there is either no waiting to get in the program or a minimal amount of time compared to BSN programs which can take two to three years to enter in the nursing program. This paper will show the differences in the competencies of an ADN and BSN program. Associate Degree Education The associate degree education program includes the study of the physiological and psychosocial sciences as well as the nursing applications. Nursing fundamentals, maternal and child care, and physical and mental...
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