Running head: DELEGATION IN A CLINICAL SETTING
Delegation in a Clinical Setting
Ashley Holyoak
California State University, Stanislaus
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DELEGATION IN A CLINICAL SETTING
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Delegation in a Clinical Setting
Proper delegation is a very important aspect of the professional workplace. It allows
managers and other individuals in leadership positions to more effectively allocate their time to
tasks only they are authorized to do, while empowering their subordinates to improve and
expand upon their current skills (Marquis & Huston, 2012). However, if delegation is to be
effective, it is imperative that managers take the time to ensure that their subordinates have the
proper knowledge and resources necessary to carry out the delegated task. This paper will define
delegation, discuss the “5 Rights” of delegation, and discuss a specific instance of a task that was
delegated to me during a clinical rotation.
Delegation, in its most simple terms, is the practice of achieving organizational goals by
utilizing the knowledge and skills of others to complete tasks of which they are capable (Marquis
& Huston, 2012). Effective delegation benefits both managers and employees. Managers
benefit because delegating tasks that others are capable of completing allows them to focus more
time on tasks that are unique to their job function. They also have more time to supervise the
work of others, and make themselves available to answer questions and provide support to their
employees when needed. Employees benefit because delegation allows them to expand their
knowledge and skills, and may prevent them from becoming complacent in their job (Marquis &
Huston, 2012).
Although delegation is a useful tool in the work place, it may be detrimental to
productivity if carried out incorrectly. In order to determine whether a task was delegated
properly, a manager should determine if the “five rights of delegation” were met (Marquis &
Huston, 2012). The “right task” means that the task is delegable for a specific patient. In order
for a task to be delegable, it must be within the scope of practice of the person to whom it is
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being delegated. The “right circumstances” means that the task is being delegated in the
appropriate setting, with the appropriate resources available for it to be completed properly. The
“right person” means that the person to whom the task is being delegated has the knowledge and
skills to complete it properly. It also means that the right person must be doing the delegating;
an individual cannot delegate a task that was not their responsibility in the first place. The “right
direction/communication” means that the delegator provided clear directions and expectations
for the completion of the task. Finally, the “right supervision” means that the manager provides
the necessary monitoring, evaluation, and intervention to the employee (Marquis & Huston,
2012).
Last week, while working on the telemetry floor at Dameron Hospital, the nurse who I
was working with delegated to me the admission assessment and health history paperwork of two
patients who were being admitted to the floor. I assumed that he would be in the room with me
while I completed this task, as this occurred right after shift change and he had not yet had a
chance to get to know me and my abilities. This was not the case, however, as he ended up
delegating the task to me to complete on my own.
Dameron Hospital uses paper charting, so the nurse gave me the admission assessment
paperwork, and asked me if I had ever completed it before. I told him that I had seen it
completed by a nurse, and while I had not completed it by myself, I would like to learn to do so.
He then gave me a brief explanation of the assessment and questions that I were to ask, and sent
me on my way. While there was not a lot of detailed information that was provided to me, I feel
that it was adequate to complete the task, as I was already familiar with doing complete head to
toe assessments and health history interviews. The only new information that I needed was
exactly how to fill out the paperwork, and the nurse went over this with me before I went into the
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room. He also double checked the form when I returned it to him after I completed the
admission assessment.
I believe that all five rights of delegation were met in this case. This was the “right task”
because the assessment was within my scope of practice as a nursing student, and the nurse
cosigned the paperwork when it was completed. This task was delegated under the “right
circumstances” because the setting was appropriate and I had the skills and knowledge necessary
to complete it in a competent manner. This task met the criteria for “right person” because the
nurse was the appropriate person to delegate the task, as it was his responsibility, and I was the
right person to delegate it to, as I was working directly with him and all of his patients, and I was
fully capable of completing it. I also verified that the patient was the right patient using full
name and date of birth before I completed my assessment. The “right direct/communication”
was achieved because the nurse and I discussed the task before I began, and he made sure I
understood exactly what was expected of me. Finally, the “right supervision” was met because I
checked in with the nurse when I finished, discussed how the assessment went, and he verified
that I completed the paperwork correctly and cosigned the form.
Although I felt comfortable completing these two admission assessments, I was surprised
that the nurse did not want to accompany me and assess the patients for himself, as this
assessment would serve as his baseline for the rest of his shift. While I appreciate his trust in
me, I think that if I were the registered nurse (RN) in this situation I would have completed the
initial admission assessment myself and had the student observe, and then delegated the
assessment of a patient that I was already familiar with to the student. Or, I would have asked
the student to complete the admission assessment while I was in the room so I could be sure that
they did not miss any important assessment data.
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Delegation is an essential component of a highly functional workplace. However, as
previously discussed, delegation must be carried out properly and meet the “five rights of
delegation” if it is to be effective (Marquis & Huston, 2012). The delegator must make sure that
the person to whom they delegate a task has the knowledge and resources to complete it
successfully, and there needs to be adequate follow up when the task is finished. The example
that I discussed met all of these criteria, therefore indicating that the delegation was successful.
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References
Marquis, B.L. & Huston, C.J. (2012). Leadership Roles and Management Functions in Nursing.
Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins.