Assignment: Leadership And Delegation In Nursing Essay Paper Assignment: Leadership And Delegation In Nursing Essay Paper Florence Nightingale (1859) once said, ?But then again, to look to all these things yourself does not mean to do them yourselfâ???But can you insure that it is done when not done by yourself?? (p. 17). These words, written in her Notes on Nursing, spoke of the idea of delegation in nursing. Over the years, delegation has become increasingly important in the nursing profession. It is important for a nurse to understand how to delegate to others efficiently without compromising patient safety or facing a lawsuit. This can sometimes prove to be a harder task than one might think, especially for a new graduate who has no experience with delegation. However, there are certain guidelines set in place that, if followed, will enable you to delegate tasks safely, properly, and effectively. Delegation is defined as the ?transference of responsibility and authority for an activity to a competent individual? (Berman & Snyder, 2012). When delegating a task to another individual, there are five rights of delegation that must be considered. ?The five rights of delegation include the right task, the right circumstance, the right person, the right communication and the right supervision? (Tomey, 2009). The first right, the right task, takes into consideration whether it is within a persons scope of practice to perform the task being delegated. A specific task that can be delegated to one person may not be appropriate for another person, depending on each persons experience and individual skill sets. Also, a task that is appropriate for one person to perform with one client may not be appropriate with a different client or the same client under altered circumstances. (Berman & Snyder, 2012). Assignment: Leadership And Delegation In Nursing Essay Paper A lot of times, a list of tasks that can and cannot be delegated can be found in the nurse practice act for the state of practice. In addition to considering if a task is within a persons scope of practice, the nature and complexity of the task to be delegated should also be considered. ?Only activities that have a predictable outcome and are done the same way every time? should be delegated (Sheehan, 1998). For example, it is okay to delegate a task such as taking a blood pressure or measuring urine output. Tasks that are more complicated or could hurt a patient, such as changing a patients surgical dressing, should not be delegated. The right circumstance is the second right of delegation. Even if a person has the ability and is allowed to perform a certain task, it is important to consider the circumstances before delegating. For example, ambulating a patient is a task that can normally be delegated to a nursing assistant. However, if you consider a patient who is post-op for a hip replacement and has a history of hypotension and anemia, this task would not be appropriate to delegate to a nursing assistant or any other person who does not have the necessary training to know what to do if the person were to become unstable. Generally, appropriate activities for consideration in delegation decision making include those which frequently reoccur in the daily care of a client or group of clients, which do not require the UAP to exercise nursing judgment, do not require complex and/or multi-dimensional application of the nursing process, for which the results are predictable and the potential risk is minimal, and which utilize a standard and unchanging procedure. (National Council of State Board Nursing, 1997) The third right of delegation is the right person. It is important to consider who the best person would be to handle a given situation. This means taking into consideration whether or not a person has the knowledge, skill, and competency to perform the task. Also, it should be considered whether or not the person has performed the task in the past and if not, if they need supervision in performing the task. The RN must consider qualifications, job descriptions, and competency when delegating task to various caregivers. Qualifications are generally determined by state licensure or certification, and the RN may reference hospital policies and procedures, job descriptions, published state practice acts, or unit guidelines if unfamiliar with specific qualifications. For instance, an LVN/LPN may be permitted by license to draw blood in some states. In other states the LVN/LPN must have an additional certification to draw blood. (Osborn, 2010). Assignment: Leadership And Delegation In Nursing Essay Paper The fourth right of delegation is the right communication. It is very important when delegating a task to another person to make sure and communicate what is needed. This means not only telling the person what to do, but giving all information that will be needed in order to perform the task. For example, when assigning the task of taking a patients blood pressure to someone, it is important to include when they need to be taken, as well as restrictions that may be needed such as to only use the left arm. In addition, specific instructions need to be given about when information should be reported back to you and any information that should be reported back immediately. For instance, if you assign the task of taking a patients blood sugar to a nursing assistant, it is important to make sure that he or she knows what a normal reading and that any readings that are not in the expected range should be reported immediately. It is also important to make sure that all instructions are understood by the person you assigning the task to and if any supervision may be needed. The fifth right of delegation is the right supervision. It is very important that any time you delegate a task, you make sure that it has been done correctly and completely. At times, a task that is delegated will be completed under direct supervision. For example, when teaching a student to insert a foley catheter, you will be with them during the task guiding them through the process. It is not always possible to be present to directly supervise all tasks that you have delegated, even though you are still ultimately accountable. It is critically important to make sure and oversee the progress on the tasks that you have delegated to ensure they are properly executed, Assignment: Leadership And Delegation In Nursing Essay Paper. The Board of Nursing has the legal responsibility to regulate nursing practice and provide guidance regarding delegation of nursing tasks. The licensed nurses specialized education, professional judgment and discretion are essential for quality nursing care. Nurses are uniquely qualified for promoting the health of the whole person by virtue of their education and experience. Nursing is a knowledge-based process discipline and cannot be reduced solely to a list of tasks. Therefore, the nurse must coordinate and supervise the delivery of nursing care, including the delegation of nursing tasks to others. While some nursing tasks may be delegated to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP), the practice-pervasive functions of assessment, evaluation and nursing judgment must not be delegated. All decisions related to delegation of nursing tasks must be based on the fundamental principle of protection of the health, safety and welfare of the public. The issues surrounding delegation are complex and multi-faceted. It is the responsibility of the licensed nurse to determine which tasks can be appropriately delegated and accept accountability for the outcomes. ?Assigning unqualified persons to perform nursing care functions, task or responsibilities and or failing to effectively supervise persons to whom nursing functions are delegated or assigned? constitutes misconduct. (South Carolina Board of Nursing, 2010). In order to be able to delegate efficiently and effectively, it is important to consider the four principles of delegation. The first is the principle of result excepted, which suggests that before delegating a task to someone, you should be able to clearly define the goals and results that are expected of them. In other words, as a nurse, you should be able to perform the skill that you are delegating to another person and be able to teach about it if necessary. The second principle is the principle of parity of authority and responsibility , which says that when delegating a task, you should choose a person who is capable of doing the job on their own and not impress excessive authority. The nurse should know the regulations in the state of practice regarding which tasks can be delegated to another person and those which should be done by only an RN. The third principle is the principle of absolute responsibility. This principle says that when delegating care to another person, the RN should be aware that he/she is the one who is ultimately responsible. It is very important to supervise tasks which have been delegated in order to ensure the safety of all patients and of her own license. The fourth principle is the principle of authority, which suggests that you should only delegate tasks that are within your jurisdiction. If you are ever in doubt about an important decision, you should consult someone in a higher position about the issue. Also, you should understand which tasks you are allowed to delegate and which tasks that only you should be performing. You should also consider that there are some situations that do not require tasksto be delegated in order to be performed. For example, in community based settings, care is provided to patients without having to have direction from an RN. This is the case in most assisted living communities where nurse delegated tasks are not part of the regular care that is provided (Management Study Guide, n.d.). It is very important as a nurse to consider all aspects that go into delegating tasks to others. When all the guidelines are followed correctly a good judgement is used when choosing who to delegate a task to, delegation can be a great tool that nurses can use. Your floor will run smoothly and you will be able to more efficiently care for your patients. It is of utmost importance that we as health care providers put the care and needs of the patients first when making decisions that could affect their treatment and ultimately their lives. Assignment: Leadership And Delegation In Nursing Essay Paper. ORDER INSTRUCTION-COMPLIANT PAPERS HERE Order Now

ADDITIONAL DETAILS 

Leadership And Delegation In Nursing

Introduction

In a patient care environment, nurses are often in charge of their own work and schedules. However, there may be times when they need to delegate tasks to other nurses or patients. Delegation is the process of assigning tasks or responsibilities to others and then allowing them to take action on those tasks without being directly involved with them

Leadership And Delegation In Nursing

Leadership is the ability to influence others. It’s not a position, it’s a skill.

Leaders must have vision, integrity and motivation in order to be effective leaders. The best leaders are those who provide direction and guidance while delegating tasks so they can focus on more important matters at hand.

Nurses need strong leadership skills if they want to be successful as nurse leaders in their organizations or departments. An effective nurse leader knows how best to delegate responsibilities while still maintaining control over their unit’s operations; this allows them time for higher level thinking about patient care rather than micromanaging every detail of what’s going on with patients every day!

Lower-level nurses may begin to feel resentment towards upper-level nurses

As a lower-level nurse, you may begin to feel resentment towards your upper-level colleagues. Why? Because they have more experience, more education and higher pay than you do. You may also feel that their job responsibilities are too overwhelming for them to handle and that they should be delegating more tasks. This can put a strain on the relationship between the two of you if it goes on for too long—that is why it’s important for both parties in this situation to address any feelings of resentment before they become too strong or unmanageable!

If there is no time frame set aside for addressing this issue, then try talking about it directly with your supervisor or someone else who has authority over both parties involved (such as a human resources representative). If those options aren’t available yet but would help relieve some stress from both sides’ shoulders then consider reaching out via email instead–it doesn’t matter how far away from home base these people might live; communication tools like email allow us all access regardless whether we’re sitting across town or across continents away from each other physically speaking.”

It is crucial for a nurse leader to be adept in delegation.

It is crucial for a nurse leader to be adept in delegation. Delegation is about empowering others and building a team. The nurse leader sets goals, makes sure that everyone knows what those goals are, and then delegates tasks out to other nurses who can achieve them.

When delegating your job as a leader, it’s important that you know when it’s time for someone else to take over so that you can focus on other things like teaching or mentoring new nurses within your department or school (or even outside of work).

Takeaway:

• Takeaway: Delegation is a skill that can help nurses to focus on their own work, while still allowing others to make decisions and take action in areas where they have expertise.

• Takeaway: Listening is an important part of effective delegation, as it allows you to understand the needs of your team members and provide them with direction when necessary.

• Takeaway: Trust builds relationships between team members; if trust isn’t there, then any kind of delegation will be difficult or impossible to achieve effectively.*

Conclusion

Ultimately, it is imperative for nurses to know and understand the role of leadership in their profession. This will help them become more effective leaders and help their teams succeed. Leadership can be learned from a variety of sources including employers, colleagues, books or even through training courses on how they can best manage their workloads while still maintaining high standards in all areas within their work environment. The most important thing here is that you need to find out what works best for your organization so that everyone has an opportunity to succeed through teamwork!

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