NCLEX Review & Nursing School

Remember for the NCLEX:

• Boards of Nursing are responsible for the regulation of .
• A licensed nurse must have ultimate responsibility and accountability for the management of nursing care.
• A task delegated to an unlicensed assistive person cannot be redelegated by the unlicensed assistive person.
• The licensed nurse determines and is accountable for the appropriateness of delegated nursing tasks.

Accountability: Being responsible and answerable for actions or inactions of self or others in the context of delegation.
Delegation: Transferring to a competent individual the authority to perform a selected nursing task in a selected situation. The nurse retains accountability for the delegation.
Delegator: The person making the delegation.
Delegatee: The person receiving the delegation. (a.k.a. Delegate)
Supervision: The provision of guidance or direction, evaluation and follow-up by the licensed nurse for accomplishment of a nursing task delegated to unlicensed assistive personnel.

Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP):

• Any unlicensed personnel, regardless of title, to whom nursing tasks are delegated.

Registered Nurses (RNs)

• Registered Nurses (RNs) may delegate certain nursing tasks to Licensed Practical Nurses/Vocational Nurses (LPN/VNs) and unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). In some jurisdictions

LPN/VNs

• LPN/VNs may also delegate certain tasks within their scope of practice to unlicensed assistive personnel.
  The licensed nurse has a responsibility to assure that the delegated task is performed in accord with established standards of practice, policies and procedures.

The nurse who delegates retains accountability for the task delegated.

The delegating nurse is responsible for an individualized assessment of the patient and situational circumstances, and for ascertaining the competence of the delegate before delegating any task.

• In delegating, the nurse must ensure appropriate assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. The delegation decision-making process and is continuous.