Delegating tasks how to#

Follow up with the patient and the staff member to see how it went. If they need guidance, delegate supervision to another nurse or supervise the person yourself. The ultimate responsibility for the patient lies with you, so be vigilant about checking in with your teammate to make sure that they understand the task and feel comfortable doing it. 5) Under the Right Supervision and Evaluation Specify your expectations, clarify the work you want done, and offer any guidance your teammate might need along the way. Make sure you provide your teammate all the necessary information they need to know about a patient so that they can perform the task properly. 4) With the Right Directions and Communication Make sure you're only delegating tasks to nurses, teammates, or patient care associates who are qualified to handle them. Or if you have a critical care patient, you may want to delegate other patients to someone else and care for the more complex case yourself. If someone’s slammed during their shift, they won’t be the right candidate to whom yiou should delegate your project. Make sure that you delegate tasks that would both save you time and can be done just as effectively by another nurse or team member. When you delegate a task, you must: 1) Delegate the Right Task There are five important tenets of delegation in nursing, better known as the Five Rights of Delegation. What Are the “Five Rights” of Delegation? What does this mean for you? At the end of the day, if you're able to lift part of your massive workload off your shoulders, you'll be in a much better position to make good decisions and deliver quality care to your patients. As a result, they ended up feeling tired and overworked. Because these nurses were distracted by extra tasks, they ultimately didn't get as much done as they could have. Why Is Delegating an Important Skill in Nursing?Ī 2012 study conducted by the Nursing Quality and Care Forum discovered that many nurses took on work that other teammates (i.e., LPNs or health aides) were qualified to do. When “assigning,” you’re giving the responsibility to someone else. When “delegating,” you’re still in charge of the patient’s care and ultimately responsible for your teammate’s work. Think of it this way: “ Assigning” is the act of handing over a patient to someone else, while “delegating” is the act of handing over a task. What’s the Difference Between “Delegating” & “Assigning”? Different areas have different regulations, so you should always know which rules apply to your role as a nurse, and make sure your supervisor is supportive and feels your team can handle the work. Who Can Delegate Tasks?Īll nurses can delegate, but it’s important to understand how delegation laws work in your state. But, it’s important to note that the person getting the new assignment is usually being asked to do something beyond their traditional role-and thus rules, approvals, and procedures should be put in place. In nursing, this means that a nurse is assigning a responsibility, skill, or procedure to a fellow staff member (licensed nurses as well as unlicensed assistive personnel). Simply put, delegation is a tool that lets you shift some of your responsibilities to another person. She has two hours left in her shift and needs some qualified, helping hands to complete everything effectively and on time. Let’s say that “Nurse Sydney” is swamped with six patients to check in on, charts to fill out, and medications to order.

Delegating tasks how to#

That's why it's crucial that you to learn how to delegate tasks early on in your nursing career. There’s only so much you can do in a day, and trying to take on too much too often can quickly lead to fatigue and burnout.

But as much as you may want to, it’s just not realistic. As a nurse, you may often feel as if you’re expected to handle everything that comes your way.