Introduction to Delegation:
As an RN in a nursing microsystem you will experience more demands on your time than you can
accommodate. Without the help of others you will not be able to meet all of your patient’s care needs. Thus it is
imperative that you have a firm sense of the roles of others so you can provide substantial direction to their
daily activities.
Microsystem leaders need to become comfortable with trusting others to assist in the accomplishment of
patient care. Having the knowledge to understand how to be an effective delegator is imperative for future
success. This class session will provide us with an enhanced understanding of what is necessary to be an
effective delegator.
Objectives:
At the end of this class session you will be able to:
Recognize the roles that care providers have in a nursing microsystem.
Identify common principles of delegation.
Describe the NCSBN Decision Tree for Delegation to Nursing Assistive Personnel.
Complete an assigned delegation case study.
Required Readings:
Marquis, B. L. & Huston, C. J. (2021). Leadership Roles and Management Functions in Nursing 10th Ed.
Wolters Kluwer. Chapter 20 –Delegation.
Joint Statement on Delegation American Nurses Association (ANA) and the National Council of State Boards
of Nursing (NCSBN) - April 29, 2019
https://www.ncsbn.org/NGND-PosPaper_06.pdf
Activities for this Class Session:
Complete the assigned readings for this class period.
Complete Section II Module 3 Open Book Quiz
Completed the Making Patient Assignments Exercise (see below).
Making Patient Assignments Exercise:
Complete Learning exercise 20.7 "How Will You Plan This Busy Morning".
Assign the tasks all 13 patients and delegate the tasks that you will complete as the RN and the tasks that will
be completed by your one LVN/LPN and your NAP. Be sure to include all tasks such as assessments,
procedures, and basic care needs.
Provide a rationale for your assignments and why you delegated and/or why you assumed responsibilities.
BE SPECIFIC about who is doing what and why.
What will you do if you get an admission on your team?
Submit to the Patient Assignments Exercise submission box.
Sample Solution