Essay Example on Over-Delegation in Nursing: Risks and Responsibilities

An example of over-delegation in nursing is one nurse asking another to pass their medications for them and sign off the orders because they are really busy. Passing medications is such a critical task and it could lead to frustrations. In the event where one seems to be over-delegating, they should ask themselves if they rushed their team into a task before they were ready or whether they assigned the task without aligning the necessary resources (Sayani, 2016). There is also the need to consider if they were too vague in outlining the parameters for success for whether they did ask for feedback or considered the input before assigning the task.

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In over-delegation, one finds out that they are miscommunicating with the team variables, misunderstanding of the priorities and the supervisor gets to hear issues at the last minute. In such a case, there is a need to take a symbolic project that is known by fellow nurses. This way, the delegator will not have to feel like they are overcorrecting or starting low-level tasks so that they connect with the team. A symbolic project will ensure that the task is well aligned with the resources and parameters for success.

An example of under-delegation is the delegator saying that they will work on the project on their own. In the event of an argument when the nurse assistant is asked to do something, then the delegator has to do it. Under-delegating tasks mean that the team members are rather flunkies and unreliable and they only suit small inconsequential tasks (Deimen & Szalay, 2019). It could also mean that the delegator is not aware of the real capacity and strengths of the team. Similarly, it could be that they are micro-managers and may be too insecure to turn things over.

The best option in this scenario is to reset with the team. There will be a need to make sure that the team understands their various tasks and that they can work on them without arguments. They should understand the rationale as well as urgency behind these tasks. This way, it will be easier to follow up more effectively as well as make smarter determinations about to delegate the responsibilities without having to stir up conflicts. The delegator will also need to be aware of the real capacity and the strength of the team.

An example of the refusal to accept a legitimate delegation is when the individual to whom the task was delegated states that they will not be able to do the job very well, but if that is what is needed, they can force themselves or simply stating that another person could work on it and it needs not to be them all the time (Landwehr & Wood, 2019). There are valid and invalid reasons for refusing to accept a legitimate delegation. The assistant could claim that it is an unsafe assignment or they could just be lazy.

It would be vital to recommunicate the vision in such a case. The leader could leave the vision or culture of the company to the others. The team could only be confused, and there could be the occurrence of missteps in delivering the work making it the reason employees do not want to perform certain tasks.

References

Deimen, I., & Szalay, D. (2019). Delegated expertise, authority, and communication. American Economic Review, 109(4), 1349-74. Retrieved from https://econ2017.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2018/10/pdf_seminar_paper_Szalay.pdf

Landwehr, C., & Wood, M. (2019). Reconciling credibility and accountability: how expert bodies achieve credibility through accountability processes. European Politics and Society, 20(1), 66-82. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23745118.2018.1515875

Sayani, A. H. (2016). The delegation, a strategy to prepare second line nursing management in the health care setting. Int J Innov Res Dev, 5(13), 149-52. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amber_Sayani/publication/311439117_Delegation_a_Strategy_to_Prepare_Second_Line_Nursing_Management_in_Health_Care_Setting/links/58466abe08aeda69681c0a9a/Delegation-a-Strategy-to-Prepare-Second-Line-Nursing-Management-in-Health-Care-Setting.pdf