Common Delegation Errors

Which of the following creates the potential for successful delegation as emphasized by the National Council State Board of Nursing?

Effective communication The NCSBN (2005) emphasizes that effective communication creates the perfect situation for successful delegation ensuring clear guidance and direction.

Which of the following are delegation errors made by nurse leaders? (Select all that apply.)

Failure to release control of task, Failure to provide adequate directions, Failure to delegate, Failure to provide clear directions, Failure to follow up The common errors noted in delegation include failure to delegate, failure to release control, inadequate or unclear directions, and lack of follow-up or supervision.

A patient on a busy neurosurgical unit who just returned from surgery requires neurological checks every hour, but the nurse is too busy to do it and delegates this task to the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). What error in delegation has the nurse made?

Improper delegation The nurse has delegated a task to the UAP that is outside of the scope of practice for a UAP. The UAP may be able to obtain vital signs but is unable to perform an assessment, which is in the scope of the RN. The nurse is not overdelegating tasks or underdelegating. The time has not been determined for the task.

A nurse informs the nurse leader that it would be beneficial to delegate more to the UAP, but the nurse leader is reluctant to do so, stating, "Whenever I do, they always come back with so many questions. I need them to just do it!" What kind of delegation error is the nurse making?

Improperly delegating The nurse may not be delegating as much as possible, but underdelegating is not the issue. The nurse is not overdelegating. If the UAP are consistently coming back to the nurse with questions, it is most likely that they are not receiving proper instruction or supervision. The issue is not with the task that is being assigned.

A nurse manager has a high turnover rate of assistant managers in the unit. The current assistant manager states to the manager, "I may not be the right fit for this position. I can't keep up with the amount of work and delegated tasks." What delegation error is the manager making?

Overdelegating The nurse manager is overdelegating to the assistant nurse managers and they are unable to keep up with the demands of the delegated assignments. The manager may have poor management skills, and this is causing the assistants to become overworked and tired, decreasing productivity. The delegation is not improper, and the manager is not underdelegating to the assistant manager. The delegation of tasks is not to the wrong person.

A nurse is struggling with time management and thinks it might help alleviate stress and strengthen leadership skills if some tasks are delegated to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). What would be important for the nurse to consider when delegating to UAP? (Select all that apply.)

Qualifications of the person who will carry out the task, What can and can't be delegated safely When the nurse turns over the actual task to be done to the UAP, the nurse still retains accountability for the task. What can and can't be delegated safely is determined by making sure the task is in UAP's scope of practice and that the specific UAP is qualified to carry it out. It would be thoughtful of the nurse to consider whether distribution of the tasks equally among the qualified UAPs is done, but it's not necessary. Cost isn't typically considered as a factor when delegating tasks—especially routine ones. It is better if the UAP cooperates with the assignment, but this is not essential for task delegation.

In order to determine when not to delegate, the nurse needs an in-depth understanding of _____.

The nurse practice act Determining when not to delegate involves a clear understanding of the nurse practice act because it defines professional legal limitations and scope of practice.

A new charge nurse is leaving work each day feeling overwhelmed and not completing tasks. What kind of delegation error is the charge nurse making?

Underdelegating The nurse is demonstrating underdelegating since the feelings of being overwhelmed and not completing tasks are present. People often underdelegate to show how competent they are. The charge nurse is not overdelegating since the tasks are not being completed at the end of the day. There is not information to determine that the tasks are not correct.