The definition of "delegation," according to medical-dictionary.com, is "an administrative authority responsibility transfer to a person of lower license from the person of higher license, while remaining responsible for the actions of the outcome. The RN must have trust and confidence in the team members they are delegating to be able to delegate effectively and with minimal stress for themselves" (Harris, 2007). .
With the determining of competence and appropriateness of the task to be delegated, there are many things to consider. According to the nursing practice act, the RN is authorized to delegate to lower licensed staff with ongoing supervision to help patients receive a quality of health care. The RN has to evaluate the patient for stability, condition, and abilities of the team to perform the task (Joint Statement on Delegation).
One of the difficult responsibilities for an effective delegation of responsibilities is that the RN understands the families and patients need to be able to assign the right team member with a compatible personality. This is important because the family and the patient have to be able to trust the staff member assigned to them to help with managing care and having a RN, LPN, and CNA that work well as a team will benefit any and all patients. It has been stated, many times, in different articles, that the RN delegation skills are not checked off like the other clinical skills are the help in delegating appropriately. "Delegation is a complex process in professional practice requiring sophisticated clinical judgment and final accountability for patients' care" (National Council of State Boards of Nursing [NCSBN], 2005).
With the different complexities and variability's the RN needs to do, a thorough assessment of each situation to figure out the appropriateness for the delegation. The NCSBN defines delegation as "giving someone a task from the delegator's practice" (NCSBN, 1995, p.