Are you making delegation work for you? June Pellet, RN

June Pellet, RN, Dallas, is a consultant i n operating room concepts. S h e is coauthor of the A O R N publication Every OR Supervisor Should Know and a leader of the A O R N seminar of the same name. S h e is a graduate of the Parkland Hospital School of Nursing, Dallas.

Delegation is a responsibility of every nurse who manages patient care. Nurses can multiply their work capacity by using subordinates appropriately. To free themselves of multiple motor activities, operating room nurses must force themselves to spend the time and effort necessary to make delegation work. Through delegation, you are released from work you should not be doing, and a t the same time you are developing other employees. While delegation is a system that brings about the division of work, it is not a system for shedding your rights or responsibilities to others. You are accountable for the actions taken and the decisions made by your subordinates. Perhaps the only safe generalization that can be made about delegation is that it is not easy-in fact it is difficult to achieve. Most nurses who are poor delegators do not have the conceptual or interpersonal skills of a leader, are taking the easy way out by doing the job themselves, or do not understand the delegation process. By looking at five reluctant delegators, we may be able to understand why many nurses fail in this critical part of their job. Super nurse believes she can do it better or faster because she knows how. Knows the way she wants it done. Makes the decisions and gives orders to others. Busybody believes action is productivity. Does not need to plan. J u s t do. Too busy doing things to involve anyone else. Helping Hannah enjoys doing what everybody else does, feels guilty when not active, avoids the unfamiliar, never has time to do her work. Fraidy cat lacks confidence in subordinates, is afraid of taking

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elegation requires enough authority be given to obtain results.

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chances, afraid somebody may do it better, feels a threat to her job. Dandy dud lacks ability to direct or train, cannot communicate, never plans and can barely perform technical part of operating room nursing. A positive approach is essential to make delegation work for you. First you must understand the basic principles of the process. Haimann defines these as 0 assignment of duties to subordinates 0 granting authority to the subordinate to make commitments 0 use of resources and all action necessary to perform assigned duties 0 creation of obligation by the subordinate to the delegating supervisor to perform the assigned duties satisfactorily. Assignment of work. The first step in assigning work is to select the tasks to be done by subordinates. If some tasks need your expertise, require basic information only you have, or deserve your attention, they should not be delegated. Ask yourself, Why am I doing this? If, however, others have the capability and the legal right to perform the job and are instructed how to perform it, the task can be delegated. Ask yourself, Why can’t somebody else do this? Equally important is selecting the 866

right person to do the job. Knowing a n individual’s likes and dislikes is important because it is human nature to perform better when one likes or is interested in what one is doing. Being sure the individual has the knowledge or the ability to learn is another fundamental. The Peter Principle, work delegated above the competency level of the worker, is always involved; however, narrowing a n assignment is a dangerous step. When work is limited to single steps or simple tasks, the individual’s worth is diminished. People interested in learning and growing are motivated to do the job well. Accurate assessment of a n individual’s workload is another preassignment consideration. Ask yourself, Does this person have the ability, interest, and time to do the job? Assignment carries a further responsibility to the delegator and that is training. Training in the delegation process is teaching subordinates to think, plan, and organize. The nurse should be prepared to answer the whys and not just the hows of a task. He/she should encourage subordinates to express their own ideas and listen to those ideas. The supervisor must be available to help but must not take over the task. Finally, the delegator should keep an open mind because there is always more than one way to accomplish a task and get the same results.

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Selecting the right jobs, the right persons, and giving them a n opportunity to succeed are the elements of concern in the first component of the process of delegation-the assignment of work. Authority to perform work. In granting authority to another person to act or make decisions, it is important that the supervisor is willing to accept and support the actions taken and the decisions made. To reach the objective of delegation, i t is important to know the limits of one’s authority, define the amount of authority a n assignment requires, and agree with subordinates in advance what authority they have. Remember that the alternate to granting authority to perform work is doing the work yourself. Authority is often elusive. Many nurses function without any concept of what their authority is and in times of crises discover they have overstepped their bounds. Authority should be predetermined and limited before the work begins. Changes should be made as job assignments and responsibilities alter. Caution should be taken not to give others authority that exceeds your own. Delegation requires that enough authority be given to bring about the desired results. The privilege to make changes in methods and procedures, to requisition supplies and equipment, and to establish priorities are exam-

ples of authority that should be predetermined. Ask the question, Can the subordinate make decisions to get the work done? If the answer is positive, enough authority has been granted; if the answer is negative, you must question why the authority has been limited. The final step in granting authority is communication. A clear understanding of what actions and decisions can be made by the subordinate is necessary. Without this understanding, frustrations and failures are almost certainties. Sometimes it is necessary to reduce authority and the subordinate should know the new limits. For example, authority may have been granted for gas sterilization to be completed anytime on a n eight-hour shift. However, because of a change in aeration time requirements, the sterilization must be completed by midnight. Failure to communicate the restriction and the reason why will result in the work not being accomplished as desired. Granting authority to perform the work is essential for successful delegation. It frees the nurse from many repetitive tasks and gives the subordinate job satisfaction in accepting more responsibility. Accountability for work. The amount of accountability built into the delegation process is relevant to its success. Sometimes a refined accountability

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system, such as daily and weekly written reports, is needed. At other times, it is sufficient to be simply informed when work is not progressing satisfactorily. The work itself and the person doing the work dictate the method of control that must be exercised. Ask the question, How will I know this work is being done well? Failure to define accountability for work delegated is frequently the cause of unsatisfactory results. Work delegated is not work forgotten. Results must be appraised. Overcontrol is to be avoided; however, the supervising nurse must be aware when help is needed, if the job is getting too far off center, or if the work is not being done. If appraisal shows a correction is needed, the subordinate should correct the situation. Without appraisal and control, the subordinate is likely to develop a “who cares” attitude toward the entire project. While the objective of delegation is to release you from doing tasks, it does not release you from the responsibility of knowing that the tasks are done properly. Without this final step of accountability, delegation will fail. Selection of the accountability system to fit the worker and the work will keep the nurse informed and aware of the quality and quantity of productivity. It also offers the subordinate the guidance and encouragement needed to increase productivity. Summary. The delegation process is a positive factor in a dynamic organization. When you master the performance of assigning work, granting authority, and placing accountability, people benefit. Patient care is maintained at a high level because employee productivity increases. Nurses have time to assess, plan, and audit patient care. Employee job satisfaction, a high motivator, is substantiated through participation and recam3

ognition. Learning how t o delegate is a n investment in the future. It is time to meet the challenge. 0 References Brown, David S. “12 ways to make delegation work.” Principles of Supervisory Management, Part 1. New York: American Management Association, 1968. Cornish, Newell W. “Why supervisors don’t delegate.” Principles of Supervisoty Management, Part 1 . New Yo&: American Management Association, 1968. “Develop through delegation” in Dynamic Supervision for Hospitals #280. Bureau of Business Practices, Inc, 1975. Haimann, Theo. Supervisory Management for Health Care Institutions. St Louis: The Catholic Hospital Association, 1973.

ANA tops 100,000 representation number Constituents of the American Nurses’ Association (ANA) have topped the 100,000 mark in obtaining exclusive collective bargaining rights for nurses. The 100,000figure was reached in mid-January when registered nurses at Hines Veterans Administration Hospital, Chicago, voted for representation by the Illinois Nurses’Association. The unit of nurses at Hines officially brings the professional association’s representation number to 100,101. Statistics released by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Washington, DC, for the first three quarters of 1976 show ANA constituents winning 37 of 43 elections, thereby gaining bargaining rights for 2,555 nurses. The NLRB figures represent the greatest number of professionals voting for representation over any other labor organization. A N A s collective bargaining program, Economic and General Welfare, was launched in 1946 by the association’s house of delegates. Organizing activities by the state nurses’ associations have increased over the past two years as a result of the August 1974 amendments to the National Labor Relations Act, which extend collective bargaining rights to health care employees in private, nonprofit hospitals and other facilities.

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Are you making delegation work for you?

Are you making delegation work for you? June Pellet, RN June Pellet, RN, Dallas, is a consultant i n operating room concepts. S h e is coauthor of th...
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