Nursing 320 Delegation and Managing Patient
Care Questions and Answers
What is Delegation? - ✅✅"transfer of responsibility for the performance of an
activity from one individual to another while retaining accountability for the
outcome"
Example of Delegation - ✅✅Example: the nurse, in delegating an activity to an
unlicensed individual, transfers the responsibility for the performance of the
activity but retains professional accountability for the overall care
What is Accountability? - ✅✅All practitioners must ensure that they perform
competently and do not work beyond their level of
competence. They must inform when they are unable to perform competently
To be accountable, practitioners must: - ✅✅o have the ability to perform the
activity or intervention
o accept responsibility for doing the activity
o have the authority to perform the activity, through delegation and the policies
and protocols of the organization.
Types of Delegation? - ✅✅-Direct patient care activities
-Indirect patient care activities
, Direct Patient Care Activities - ✅✅o Assisting with feeding, grooming,
ambulating, hygienic care, taking vital signs, toileting, dressing, blood sugar levels,
EKG
Indirect Patient Care activities - ✅✅o Activities routinely done to support the
unit:
•Restocking supplies, transporting patients, day to day functioning of the unit
5 Rights of Delegation - ✅✅o Right Task
o Right Circumstance
o Right Person
o Right Direction/Communication
o Right Supervision/Evaluation
What can be delegated? - ✅✅•Non invasive and non sterile treatments such as
emptying Foley Catheters
•Collection of and reporting data such as vital signs,
height and weight, and blood sugar
•Hygienic care: bathing, toileting, assisting with
ambulation
•Tasks that do not require critical thinking
o Urine sample, stool sample
•Socialization activities
What cannot be delegated? - ✅✅•Patient Assessments
Care Questions and Answers
What is Delegation? - ✅✅"transfer of responsibility for the performance of an
activity from one individual to another while retaining accountability for the
outcome"
Example of Delegation - ✅✅Example: the nurse, in delegating an activity to an
unlicensed individual, transfers the responsibility for the performance of the
activity but retains professional accountability for the overall care
What is Accountability? - ✅✅All practitioners must ensure that they perform
competently and do not work beyond their level of
competence. They must inform when they are unable to perform competently
To be accountable, practitioners must: - ✅✅o have the ability to perform the
activity or intervention
o accept responsibility for doing the activity
o have the authority to perform the activity, through delegation and the policies
and protocols of the organization.
Types of Delegation? - ✅✅-Direct patient care activities
-Indirect patient care activities
, Direct Patient Care Activities - ✅✅o Assisting with feeding, grooming,
ambulating, hygienic care, taking vital signs, toileting, dressing, blood sugar levels,
EKG
Indirect Patient Care activities - ✅✅o Activities routinely done to support the
unit:
•Restocking supplies, transporting patients, day to day functioning of the unit
5 Rights of Delegation - ✅✅o Right Task
o Right Circumstance
o Right Person
o Right Direction/Communication
o Right Supervision/Evaluation
What can be delegated? - ✅✅•Non invasive and non sterile treatments such as
emptying Foley Catheters
•Collection of and reporting data such as vital signs,
height and weight, and blood sugar
•Hygienic care: bathing, toileting, assisting with
ambulation
•Tasks that do not require critical thinking
o Urine sample, stool sample
•Socialization activities
What cannot be delegated? - ✅✅•Patient Assessments
