Leadership and Management Task 13

Cristina M.
Villotes- BSN IV
2/27/21
Task 13
Question:
In your own clinical experiences in various setting, is proper delegation of
responsibilities observed in the clinical area?
1. Identify at least 3 tasks/ responsibilities delegated by the nurse-supervisor to the
staff nurses. Do you think this is proper delegation? Why or why not?
 Delegation can be defined simply as getting work done through others or as

directing the performance of one or more people to accomplish organizational
goals. It is not the same as assignment, which involves distributing work to a
qualified person or persons for implementation of a specific activity or set of
activities within their job description (American Nurses Association [ANA] &
National Council of State Boards of Nursing [NCSBN], n.d.) In delegation, the
individual transfers the authority to perform a specific activity from their own
practice, to an individual qualified to perform that task, but retains accountability
for the delegated task. Delegation is not a new function of professional nursing
but it is becoming increasingly important as the profession experiences rapid
change. Nurse Managers are increasingly expected to organize and supervise
the work of other healthcare workers. Crucial to the success of this function is the
ability to delegate routinely and effectively.
 Based on my observations during my clinical exposures in various setting. Some
tasks or responsibilities of the nurse-supervisor in delegating task to the staff
nurses were planning ahead, setting deadline and monitoring progress,
evaluating the performance of the staff nurse. As I have observed for me it is a
proper way of successful delegation since it is part of the strategies for
successful delegation. Planning ahead, is when you identify tasks to be
accomplished. Always make an attempt to delegate before you become
overwhelmed. In addition, always be sure to carefully assess the situation before
delegating and to clearly delineate the desired outcomes. Setting deadlines and
monitoring progress means setting time lines and monitoring how the task is
being accomplished through informal but regularly scheduled meetings. This
shows an interest on the part of the nurse-leader, provides for a periodic review
of progress, and encourages ongoing communication to clarify any questions or
misconceptions. In doing so, the leader-manager provides staff feedback to
increase competency in task performance. In addition, this keeps the delegated
task before the subordinate and the manager so that both share accountability
for its completion. Although the final responsibility belongs to the delegator, the
subordinate doing the task accepts responsibility for completing it appropriately
and is accountable to the person who delegated the task. When evaluating
performance, evaluating the delegation experience after the task must be
completed. Include positive and negative aspects of how the person completed
the task. Were the outcomes achieved? Ask the individual you delegated to, what
you could have done differently to facilitate their completion of the delegated
tasks. This shared reflection encourages the development of a mutually trusting
and productive relationship between delegators and subordinates. The following
nurse-supervisor task/ responsibilities mentioned were noticeable during my
clinical exposure.
2. Identify at least 3 common errors in delegation observed in the clinical areas. Justify
your answers.
 Delegation is not intuitive for most people; instead, it is a critical leadership skill
that must be learned. Salemme (n.d.) notes that studies show that only 30% of
the managers believe they know how to delegate tasks with efficiency, and within
those, one in three of their subordinates judge their superior’s good delegators.
Delegation errors can lead to patients not receiving the care that they need and
may result in a breach of duty (failure to meet the expected standard of care).
Thus, delegation errors increase the risk of patient harm and being sued for
malpractice. Frequent mistakes made in delegating include under delegating,
over delegating, and improper delegating. Under delegating is often the product
of an individual's misguided perception that delegation means a lack of capacity
on his or her part to complete the task correctly or fully. Delegation does not have
to restrict an individual's control, reputation, or power; rather, delegation may
maximize an individual's leverage and capacity by increasing the amount that
can be accomplished. Leader-managers must also note that there may be errors
made by workers.
 Douglas (2015) suggests that delegators note that they, too, learned by making
mistakes, and that if you don't give workers a shot, they will never learn how to
perform a job properly. As they lack experience in the job or in the delegation
itself, nurses can also under delegate. Other nurses refuse to delegate because
they need to monitor or be flawless in an unnecessary way. The leader-manager
who recognizes nothing less than excellence restricts the possibilities open to
subordinate development and frequently spends time redoing assigned tasks. In
addition, some people under delegate because they fail to predict the assistance
they may need. The perfect time to delegate is before you become exhausted in
an ideal situation. While emergencies arise that force you to reorganize your
goals, you can predict hectic or difficult times more often than not. In contrast to
under delegating, which overburdens the manager, some managers over
delegate, burdening their subordinates.
 Some managers over delegate because they are poor managers of time,
spending most of it just trying to get organized. Others over delegate because
they feel insecure in their ability to perform a task. Improper delegation includes
such things as delegating at the wrong time, to the wrong person, or for the
wrong reason. It also may include delegating tasks and responsibilities that are
beyond the capability of the person to whom they are being delegated or that
should be done by someone with greater expertise, training, or authority.
Delegating decision making without providing adequate information is another
example of improper delegation. If the manager requires a higher quality than
satisfying, this must be made clear at the time of the delegation. Not everything
that is delegated needs to be handled in a maximizing mode. With the
restructuring of care delivery models, RN's at all levels are increasingly being
expected to make assignments for and supervise the work of different levels of
employees. To increase the likelihood that the increased delegation required in
today’s restructured health-care organizations does not result in an unsafe work
environment, organizations should have: (a) a clearly defined structure where
RN's are recognized as leaders of the health-care team, (b) job descriptions that
clearly define the roles and responsibilities of all workers, (c) education programs
that help personnel learn the roles and responsibilities of coworkers, and (d)
training programs that foster the development of leadership and delegation skills
(Huston, 2017).

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Cristina M.

 Delegation can be defined simply as getting work done through others or as

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