Susan S. Cox is a member of the Huron School of Nursing's nursing faculty in East Cleveland, Ohio. Show
You probably count on unlicensed assistive personnel (UAPs) to help you care for your patients. As an RN or LPN, however, you're ultimately responsible for your patients, even when you've delegated some of their
care to a UAP. To delegate legally, safely, and effectively, you need to know a few rules. Before handing off duties to UAPs, check the following five points to make sure you're meeting your responsibilities.
Your judgment is always key because whether or not delegating care is appropriate isn't always obvious. A patient may appear to be independent, yet still need care from someone skilled in communication. For example, a patient with newly diagnosed diabetes will benefit from the teaching and support you can offer while performing hands-on care you might otherwise delegate. Although delegating this “bed and bath” to a UAP is legal and safe, it may not be in this patient's best interest. Although you need to maintain standards, you should also be flexible. Acknowledge that some things can be done more than one way. You'll foster cooperative attitudes if you act as a guide and teacher, rather than a dictator. Just as you need to trust the UAPs assigned to you, the UAPs need to trust you. The end result will be better patient care—the one goal shared by everyone on staff. DELEGATIONTransferring to a competent individual the authority to perform a selected nursing task in a selected situation. The nurse retains accountability for the delegation. A little praise goes a long wayHere are a few ways to motivate a UAP on your staff:
SELECTED REFERENCESCohen, S. Managers' fast track. Delegating vs. dumping: Teach the difference. Nursing Management. 35(10):14,18,52, October 2004. National Council of State Boards of Nursing: Delegation: Concepts and Decision-Making Process. National Council Position Paper, 1995. Accessed online at http://www.ncsbn.org/regulation/uap_delegation_documents_delegation.asp, April 18, 2006. National Council of State Boards of Nursing: Delegation Decision-Making Tree. 1997. Accessed online at http://www.ncsbn.org/pdfs/delegationtree.pdf, April 18, 2006. Whitman, MM. Professional development. Return and report: Establishing accountability in delegation. American Journal of Nursing. 105(3):97, March 2005. Williams JK and Cooksey MM. Navigating the difficulties of delegation. Nursing2004. 34(9):32hn12, September 2004. Which task is appropriate for the nurse to assign to an unlicensed assistive personnel?Routine tasks, such as taking vital signs, supervising ambulation, bed making, assisting with hygiene, and activities of daily living, can be delegated to an experienced UAP. The charge nurse appropriately delegates the routine task of feeding to the UAP.
Which task is most appropriate for the nurse to delegate to the unlicensed assistive personnel?The RN is ultimately accountable for the care provided by the UAP. *The RN can delegate routine tasks such as taking vital signs, supervising ambulation, making beds, assisting with hygiene, and activities of daily living to the experienced UAP.
Which task may be safely delegated to unlicensed assistive personnel UAP )?Documenting intake/output, assisting with activities of daily living, and performing other routine client care tasks can be safely delegated to the UAP.
What nursing activities related to wound care can be delegated to unlicensed assistive personnel?When assigning wound care to LPN, or delegating wound care activities as noted below to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP), RN is responsible for: a) periodic wound assessment; b) verification of data collected and reported by LPN or UAP; and c) evaluation of wound care regimen and outcomes to assure the treatment ...
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