Delegation
Delegation is the process whereby a registered nurse or delegator directs another person, the delegate, to perform nursing activities and tasks involving patient care (Barrow & Sharma, 2021). Registered nurses must decide whether to delegate and understand which tasks can be delegated, the competence of the delegate, and the level of supervision necessary (Barrow & Sharma, 2021). Delegation decisions are challenging in nursing practice and require appropriate considerations to improve patient care outcomes. Factors that necessitate delegation include increased patient care complexity and nursing shortages (Barrow & Sharma, 2021). This means that delegation in the healthcare sector is unavoidable but requires a thorough understanding by involved parties to avoid lawsuits and deliver safe and effective care. Thus paper discusses tasks that can be delegated to UAPs, how to collaborate with the LPN to delegate duties, and ensure patient safety during the delegation process.
Delegation to UAPs
Nursing tasks can be performed by other healthcare team menders, such as unlicensed assistive personnel (UAPs). UAPs provide effective care both through clinical work like vital signs monitoring, mouth care, and turning, and nonclinical work like keeping the environment orderly (Wagner, 2016). In this case, I would delegate the three clinical tasks to the UAPs to assist in providing care to the coded patient in the intensive care unit. However, I would follow the legal parameters defined by the scope of practice established by professional nursing organizations like the ANA and the state to ensure patient safety (Wagner, 2016). RNs are accountable for delegation decisions and the adequacy of nursing care provided to the client or healthcare customer. Thus, the UAPs will perform these tasks under the supervision of the RN.