How to Delegate Nurse Functions

It takes some time as a new registered nurse to learn how to delegate. At first, a new nurse wants to do it all. It is hard to ask someone else to do something for your patient, but as experience demands, a nurse learns that delegation is absolutely necessary to function as a nurse. Delegation is not easy, but it's something that you can learn over time. Patient safety is the first concern in the nurse's mind and should be throughout the delegation procedure. Use the help around you to make your shift go smooth and keep your patients safe.

Instructions

• 1

  Determine if the task is appropriate to be delegated. These tasks are ones that do not require the application of the nursing process, that are reoccurring activities and that utilize an unchanging procedure. Determine if the risk of the person performing the task for the patient is minimal.

• 2

  Determine if the situation is appropriate for the task to be delegated. For instance, vital signs on a critical patient should not be delegated to ancillary personnel. It is something a nurse may want to do herself. In other circumstances, though, unlicensed workers could take vital signs.

• 3

  Determine if this is the right person to whom to delegate the task. A licensed practical nurse in most states is able to give medications within his scope of practice. However, you cannot delegate medication passing to a nursing assistant because that is not in her scope of practice.

• 4

  Communicate the delegation of the task to the assistive personnel in a clear and specific manner. This assures that the task is done with safety and timeliness in mind and that the patient's needs are met. Communicate the task to be completed, how it should be completed and when it should be completed.

• 5

  Evaluate whether or not the task was performed successfully and provide feedback to the unlicensed personnel. Check to be sure that the patient has been cared for in the proper way and is comfortable and safe. Monitor and document delegation as necessary.