How to Delegate to a Practical Nurse
As being a nurse, delegation can be an essential part of your daily duties. It is important that you are clear and certain on the important aspects of delegating. Being aware of the responsibilities and importance of delegation is very critical to successfully delegate to practical nurses.
- Make sure the nurse that is delegating knows the skill that he/she is delegating and be able to not only perform it, but teach it to another care provider. Also, the practical nurse that the registered nurse (RN) is delegating to must have the right training to do the job and is experienced.
- Be knowledgeable regarding the regulation in the state of practice. There are certain tasks that can be delegated to others, while some can only be done by the registered nurse.
- Follow up and maintain supervision of the tasks that you delegate. In delegation to a practical nurse the RN must always remember that they are still fully responsible for the delegated tasks to get done. They also must ensure the safety of those patients.
- Realize that delegation is a skilled that only an RN can designate and not in all instances does delegation apply. In most assisted living communities nurse delegated tasks are not a part of the routine with the care provided.
- Delegation should only be done with tasks that the RN believes the other practical nurse has the knowledge and is able to do the job. The decision of whether or not to delegate lies solely based upon the judgment of the delegating RN. Take all things into consideration before making this decision, including the competence of the nursing team and the degree of supervision that will be required by the RN.