...Continuing Education Effective Delegation: Understanding Responsibility, Authority, and Accountability Christine Mueller, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Amy Vogelsmeier, PhD, RN The obligation to provide safe, quality care creates challenges and concerns when registered nurses (RNs) delegate duties to unlicensed assistive personnel. These challenges and concerns are magnified in today’s health care environment of shrinking resources; patients with complex, chronic conditions; health care settings with high patient acuity rates; and the use of sophisticated technology. To make safe, effective delegation decisions, RNs must understand the responsibility, authority, and accountability related to delegation. Delegation decisions must be based on the fundamental principle of public protection. This article describes effective delegation by presenting the factors affecting delegation, explaining when and what an RN can delegate, and describing the delegation process. Learning Objectives ⦁ ⦁ ⦁ Identify three factors that affect delegation. Discuss what registered nurses can and cannot delegate. Explain the steps of the delegation process. N ursing’s Social Policy Statement (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2010), the Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (ANA, 2001), and individual state nurse practice acts (NPAs) underscore the responsibility, authority, and accountability of registered nurses (RNs) for their nursing practice. The RN’s obligation...
Words: 5394 - Pages: 22
...Importance of Delegation from Manager and Subordinate’s Perspective Index Topic Page Number 1. Introduction 4 2. Topic: 5 3. Theory Related to Research: 5 4. Research question 7 5. Literature Review: 8 5.1. Introduction: 8 5.2. Effectiveness of Delegation: 8 5.3. Background of Delegation: 9 5.3.1. Significant freedom to decide how the goal will be achieved 10 5.3.2. Being an available resource to assist in achieving the goals: 10 5.3.3. Assessing quality of the effort and achievement of goals 11 5.4. Delegation Process: 11 5.5. Critical Analysis of Work Delegation: 11 5.6. Unsuccessful Work Delegation: Reasons: 17 6. Research Methodology: 19 6.1. Sampling Technique 19 6.2. Selection of the Participants 19 6.3. Data Collection: 20 6.4. Data Analysis 20 6.5 Significance of the research: 21 6.6. Research Hypothesis: 21 7. Findings and Analysis: 23 7.1. Analysis of the Questioner (Close ended), of Work Delegators: 23 7.2. Analysis of the Questioner (Close ended)...
Words: 10533 - Pages: 43
...Delegation Nikevia Gilmore COMM/215 January 19, 2015 Carol J. Amato, M.A. Table of Contents Introduction…………………………………………………………….3 What is Delegation……………………………………………………...3 Pros of Delegation……………………………………………………….3 Con of Delegation………………………………………………………..4 Conclusion……………………………………………………………….4 References/Work Cited…………………………………………………5 Introduction TV personality Anthea Turner once said, “The first rule of management is delegation. Don't try and do everything yourself because you can't.” (Delegation Quotes) Business owners, such as the owner of a Chick-fil-A restaurant located in Marlton, NJ, have to be willing to delegate tasks to their employees and trust that the assigned employee is going to complete the tasks adequately so he can be freed up to take care of other things associated with their business and to avoid unnecessary stress. What is Delegation? A Latin term originating sometime between 1605 and 1615, the term “delegation” is the act of giving control, authority, a job, a duty, etc., to another person. There are three basic elements of delegation: the assignment of duties, granting of authority to enable the subordinates to perform the duties assigned, and the creation of obligation on the part of subordinate to perform duties in an orderly manner. The process of delegation involves four steps. The first step is the assignment of duties to subordinates which entails the owner to decide exactly what duties he wants the subordinate to complete. The second step is the...
Words: 509 - Pages: 3
...SA MP LE HOW-TO BOOKS H OW-TO BOOKS You Can’t Do It All: Effective Delegation for Supervisors Jeanne Baer H OW-TO BOOKS H OW-TO 1 This preview version of our product is protected by copyright law. Copying or distribution of this file is prohibited. SA MP LE You Can’t Do It All: Effective Delegation for Supervisors By Jeanne Baer Coastal Training Technologies Corp. 500 Studio Drive Virginia Beach, VA 23452 You Can’t Do It All: Effective Delegation for Supervisors Jeanne Baer Copyright© 1999 by Coastal Training Technologies Corp. SA MP LE All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that neither the author nor the publisher is engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Credits: Coastal Training Technologies Corp.: Art Bauer Todd McDonald Editor in Chief: Karen Massetti Miller Designer: Scott Rhone Cover Design and Illustration: Kevin Zdenek Coastal Training Technologies Corp. 500 Studio Drive Virginia Beach...
Words: 26916 - Pages: 108
...Introduction • Delegation is the assignment of authority and responsibility to another person to carry out specific activities. • The person who delegated the work remains accountable for the outcome of the delegated work. • Delegation provides a means for increasing productivities. • Delegation empowers a subordinate to make decisions. Definitions • Delegate- “to entrust to another; to appoint as one’s representative; to assign responsibility or authority”. • Delegation- “the act of empowering to act for another”. • "Delegation is defined as the transfer of responsibility for the performance of a task from one person to another" • "Transferring to a competent individual the authority to perform a selected nursing task in a selected nursing situation . The nurse retains accountability for delegation" • "The transfer of responsibility for the performance of an activity from individual to another while retaining accountability for the outcome". (American Nurses Association) • Delegation is appointing a person to act on one's behalf 5 Rights to delegation (NCSBN) NCSBN in US presents 5 rights to delegation from the perspectives of both nursing service administrator and staff nurse. 1. Right task 2. Right circumstance 3. Right person 4. Right direction/communication 5. Right supervision/evaluation Delegation Process 1. Define the task 2. Decide on the delegate 3. Determine the task 4. Reach an agreement 5. Monitor performance and 6. provide...
Words: 585 - Pages: 3
...Recognizing the Need For, Impacts and Benefits of Effective Delegation in the Work Place CASSANDRA C. SMITH Graduate Research Thesis Lawrence Technological University Southfield, Michigan Dr. Thomas Marx Senior Service College Fellowship (SSCF) 2011-2012 Midwest Region Published by Defense Acquisition University 28 Mar 2012 Submitted to Lawrence Technological University (LTU) College of Management in partial fulfillment of the degree of Masters of Science in Global Leadership and Management Submitted to Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Midwest Region in partial fulfillment of the requirement of the Senior Service College Fellowship (SSCF) Program UNCLASSIFIED: Distribution Statement A Approved for public release Report Documentation Page Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for...
Words: 13429 - Pages: 54
...affecting the organization. (Colombo & Delmastro, 2008) The question of the determinants of the allocation of decision rights in firms has received considerable attention from different streams of economists and strategy scholars over the last couple of decades. The information processing stream ( see Radner & Marschak, 1972; Harris & Raviv, 2002; Sah & Stiglitz, 1986) contends that hierarchical organizations that centralize the decision-making function can suffer from organizational failures, consisting in leaks that arise in transmitting information from the top to the bottom of the hierarchy and vice versa. Benefits of delegation than arise because of inefficiencies in intra-firm communication (Keren, Levhari, & Kerent, 1979) implementation delays (Radner, 1993), fully exploitation of economies arising from local capabilities and specialization tasks (Bolton & Dewatripont, 1994) and high opportunity costs of highrank managers (Harris & Raviv, 2002). Conversely to the information processing stream, which emphasizes the costs of information processing and transmission, the decentralization of incentives stream (Aghion & Tirole, 1997; Dessein, 2002; Rajan & Zingales, 1998) focuses attention on the incentive costs that arise with decentralized decision-making (Colombo & Delmastro, 2008). Aghion and Tirole (1997)...
Words: 2421 - Pages: 10
...------------------------------------------------- Does delegation help or hurt nursing? A Research Paper April 11, 2013 Fiona Molloy Dr. McDonnell HAS 420 April 11, 2013 Fiona Molloy Dr. McDonnell HAS 420 Fiona Molloy Dr. McDonnell/Bill Miller HSA 420 Does Delegation Help or Hurt Nursing? Chapter One: The History of Nursing. The first nursing school was established in India in about 250 B.C., and only men were permitted to attend because men were viewed to be more pure than women. If you think of a woman dressed in scrubs with a stethoscope around her neck and a clipboard in her hands, you aren’t alone. An overwhelming majority of nurses in the United States today are women. However, nursing began as a practice reserved for men. It wasn’t until the 1800's that nursing became an organized practice. During the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale and 38 volunteer nurses were sent to the main British camp in Turkey. Nightingale and her staff immediately began to clean the hospital and equipment and reorganized patient care. Nightingale pushed for reform of hospital sanitation methods and invented methods of graphing statistical data. When she returned to Britain, Nightingale aided in the establishment of the Royal Commission on the Health of the Army. As a woman, Nightingale could not be appointed to the Royal Commission, but she composed the Commission’s report. (Travel Nurses of America, 2010) Completed, the report was over 1,000 pages in length and included detailed...
Words: 3287 - Pages: 14
...confidence to develop themselves for higher positions. Good delegation provides better managers and a higher degree of efficiency. The objective of delegation is to get the job done by someone else. Not just the simple tasks of reading instructions and turning a lever, but also the decision making and changes which depend upon new information. With delegation, the staff has the authority to react to situations without referring back to you. Delegation authority from superior to subordinate, however, the employee is empowered to act for the supervisor, while the supervisor remains accountable for the outcome. Delegation requires trust, commitment, and relationship between the supervisor and the employee. Effective delegation would beneficial to the managers and the employees. By allowing employees to grow professionally Managers delegate work. Effective delegation is a two-way discussion and understanding. Managers must be clear about the delegated task, and give employees an opportunity to ask questions, monitor progress and offer assistance as needed. Delegation of powers for determining planning a catered event means that the General Manager or the Director of Catering has been authorized by Planning Committee to make decisions on planning the event with guidelines. This brings efficiency and effectiveness to decision making. Planning involves the delegation of organizational responsibility. Determines actions, individual tasks that must be performed by a given date, by a specific...
Words: 1266 - Pages: 6
...and Application Charmaine Perkins Houston Campus January 12, 2006 Delegation Paper In today’s world there are many companies that strive and become very successful and profitable. In order for any business to establish themselves and have a great tenure they must adhere to not only factors but also delegation. Today, more than ever, managers must learn to use their time effectively. As a manager, you have a multitude of responsibilities. A situation made more difficult by an environment that emphasizes change, rapid responses times, and thinking “outside of the box.” There never seems to be enough time to get it all done. If, however, you are going to have an impact, you must take control of your time and not vice versa. If you try to do it all yourself, this will never happen. You can control your time by arriving earlier, using detailed planners and schedules, or “blocking off time” to focus on special projects. You might also try prioritizing tasks or using an elaborate filing system. All of these approaches will help, but you will never maximize your effectiveness unless you learn to delegate effectively. Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, says that “effectively delegating to others is perhaps the single most powerful high-leverage activity there is.” Certainly in today’s business environment, effective delegation will help you achieve your fullest potential (as well help develop those people around...
Words: 1175 - Pages: 5
... Delegation? Delegation is the establishment of a pattern of authority between a superior and one or more subordinates. Specifically delegation is the process by which managers assign a portion of their total workplace to others. Everybody who’s anybody delegates, CEOs, the president, military commanders all delegate. The primary reason for delegation is to enable the manager to get more work done. Subordinates help each the manager’s burden by doing major portions of the organizations work. In some instances, a subordinate, a subordinate may have more expertise in addressing a particular problem than the manager does. Step: 1 Step: 2 Step: 3 Manager Manager Manager Manager Assigning responsibility Granting authority creating accountability Manager Manager Subordinates Subordinates Subordinates Subordinates Subordinates Subordinates For example, the subordinate may have had special training in developing information system or may be more familiar with a particular product or geographic area. Delegation also helps develop subordinates. By participating in decision making and problem solving, subordinates learn about overall operations and improve their managerial skills. Parts of delegation process: There are three parts of delegation process. 01...
Words: 1679 - Pages: 7
...Delegation in the health care setting is very important for the nurses, unlicensed assistive personnel, and for the patients. The delegation of indirect and direct patient care allows the Registered Nurse to spend more time toward patient care, education, and patient advocacy. This delegation of patient care helps to improve patient outcomes and increases satisfaction for the patient and the nurse (Snyder, Medina, Bell, & Wavra 2004). “Nurse delegation is considered a “professional right and responsibility” requiring a “skill that must be taught and practiced for nurses to be proficient in using it.” Nurses need both the authority and practice experience to implement delegation” (Reinhard p. 76). Effective delegation can allow the registered nurses to make their best contribution to patients and to the health care system (Snyder et al, 2004). This delegation presentation will show the delegation model, delegation in the workplace, the stakeholders and their roles. Also it will include a plan of action that incorporates communication, conflict resolution, providing feedback, and evaluation of the problems and tasks performed. The delegation model is composed of four cycles. These are assessment, planning, intervening, and evaluation. To start with is the assessment phase of the model, which implies that registered nurses, must assesses the situation, select the right delegate to perform the task, and ensure the delegate is competent for the task they are delegated...
Words: 278 - Pages: 2
...10.Authority, Delegation and Decentralisation AUTHORITY Meaning : Authority is the right or power assigned to an executive or a manager in order to achieve certain organizational objectives. A manager will not be able to function efficiently without proper authority. Authority is the genesis of organizational framework. Without authority, a manager ceases to be a manager, because he cannot get his policies carried out through others. Authority is one of the founding stones of formal and informal organizations. An Organization cannot survive without authority. It indicates the right and power of making decisions, giving orders and instructions to subordinates. Authority is delegated from above but must be accepted from below i.e. by the subordinates. In other words, authority flows downwards....
Words: 10107 - Pages: 41
...AUTHORITY, DELEGATION AND DECENTRALISATION What is an authority? Authority is the cement of organisation structure in which various units of organisation are integrated. Without authority a manager cesses to be a manager. It is the authority that gives managers power to act. Authority is glue that holds organisation together. It is impossible to have an organisation unless some persons have the authority to command action of others. The word Authority is derived from the Latin word “auctoritas” meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command. In English, the word 'authority' connotes power given by the state or by academic knowledge of an area (someone can be an authority on a subject) Weber defined domination (authority) as the chance of commands being obeyed by a specifiable group of people. Legitimate authority is that which is recognized as legitimate and justified by both the ruler and the ruled. Authority sometimes refers to;- 1) The Institutionalized and legal power inherent in a particular job, function, or position that is meant to enable its holder to successfully carry out his or her responsibilities. 2) An agency or body created by a government to perform a specific function, such as environment management, power generation, or tax collection is an authority. 3) Judgment of a court or judicial opinion quoted in support of a legal argument. In management field, the concept authority can be defined as:- 1. The right to guide and direct the actions...
Words: 3379 - Pages: 14
...Delegation Paper Delegation Paper The definition of delegation, according to the medical-dictionary.com, is delegation of 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...
Words: 1122 - Pages: 5
