Delegation is the process of the direction of nursing tasks to another person. This process involves at least two people, a delegator and a delegate. Delegation can be divided into five steps or things that have to be understood to delegate the tasks appropriately. They are also called the “five rights of delegation,” and the given discussion aims to describe them.
The first step of nursing delegation is the definition of the right task. According to Barrow and Sharma, the nurse has to decide which tasks can be delegated legally and whether these tasks can be delegated according to the policies of the given organization.
The second step is to define the right circumstances for nursing delegation. It means that the nurse should answer several questions. First, they have to decide whether there are appropriate resources and equipment to perform the task. Second, they have to understand whether they have the right supervision for this task. Third, the environment must be favorable for such delegation. For example, patients with unpredictable outcomes are not the best candidates for nursing delegation.
During the third step, the nurse has to define the right person for delegation. The right person has the necessary knowledge and experience in working with patients with similar diseases. They have to be trained specifically for the given tasks and have experience performing them without supervisors. The previous problems while performing such tasks also have to be considered.
The fourth step is to analyze whether the right supervision is available in the given medical organization. The delegate has to provide feedback after completing the task. The fifth step is giving the right direction and communication. The delegate should know what to do and to complete the tasks within the deadline. Following these five steps would make the nursing delegation effective and safe.
