Ethical Dilemmas: The Role Of Delegation In Nursing

Like the patients have the rights to refuse the treatments, we as nurses have the rights to refuse any assignment that we think is not balance, bias or that could make our practice unsafe. “The American Nurses Association (ANA) upholds that registered nurses – based on their professional and ethical responsibilities – have the professional right to accept, reject or object in writing to any patient assignment that puts patients or themselves at serious risk for harm” (American Nurses Association, 2015, 1). The nurses' refusal should not be based, however, on personal preferences. Any nurse who acts in such matter can be held accountable in the decisions of refusal an assignment personal preferences patient abandonment. Nevertheless, the refusal can be based solely on moral, ethical, or religious beliefs.

Delegation requires the nurse to make decisions based on patient needs, the complexity of the work, competency of the individual accepting the delegation, and the time that the work is done. “Delegation decisions are sometimes made based on a list of tasks found in a job description, such as taking vital signs, bathing, or ambulating patients” (Weydt, 2010, 10). During making a delegation to unlicensed personnel, the nurse should consider the unlicensed personnel’s the scope of practice of the person that the task is delegating to, the level of education and the training. If all of these aspects are considered by the nurse; then the licensed nurse is working within his or her scope of practice and covers by the Respondeat