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According to the American Nurses Association (2012), delegation is defined as a nurse directing another person to perform nursing tasks and activities. It's crucial to remember that when you delegate a task or activity, you merely transfer the responsibility and authority. You cannot, however, transfer the accountability. In other words, when you delegate a task or activity to someone else, you are still accountable for the execution of said task or activity.
Imagine Suzie, a nurse educator who recently agreed to coordinate the departmental annual report. During a team meeting, the unit director, John, discussed the importance of offering a yearly report, shared his vision for the report, and discussed how it would serve as a tool to demonstrate the value contribution of the team. Suzie was excited about the opportunity, raised her hand, and asked how to participate in this project. John is deliberate about offering developmental opportunities to his team members. He quickly jumped on the opportunity to delegate the task of developing an annual report to Suzie. She, in turn, was delighted. Suzie formed a team, sought feedback from John, and developed a timeline. She was setting herself up for success. A few months passed, and John stopped asking for a monthly...