Assignment task:
Activity:
Examine the five factors to be assessed before delegating (potential for harm, etc.) for a particular task.
In making a decision to delegate a nursing task, the following five factors should be assessed:
1. Potential for harm: The nurse must determine how much risk the activity carries for an individual patient.
2. Complexity of the task: The more complex the activity, the less desirable it is to delegate.
3. Amount of problem solving and innovation required: If an uncomplicated task requires special attention, adaptation, or an innovative approach, it should not be delegated.
4. Unpredictability of outcome: When a patient's response to the activity is unknown or unpredictable it is not advisable to delegate that activity.
5. Level of patient interaction: It is not advisable to delegate so many tasks that the amount of time the nurse spends with the patient is decreased to the point that a therapeutic relationship cannot be established between the nurse and the patient. (AACN, 2004Links to an external site. p.10)
Explain why or why not a task would be delegated depending on each factor.
Using an example you can share, and/or face at your current practice setting? (I work at a needle exchange program where understaff and delegation has become a big problem as more work has to be divided when staff is already burnout).
Submission Instructions:
Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources.
You should respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting/correcting, or adding additional nuance to their posts.
All replies must be constructive and use literature where possible.