Essay Sample on Patient Management and Delegation

Introduction

Charge nurses are professionals who undertake managerial roles in nursing and at the same time attend their duties. They act as supervisors, caretakers, and liaisons in nursing. On top of their managerial roles, they treat a specific number of patients. However, with the changes currently experienced in nursing, it is becoming overwhelming for charge nurses to perform all these duties at the same time. Therefore, they are currently delegating some of the duties to other nurses and staff. Delegation provides charge nurses with assistance and support at all levels of management.

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Roles and Responsibilities of Charge Nurses

Administrative duties are among the responsibilities undertaken by charge nurses. These include supervising, managing, and assisting the nursing staff. They manage admissions, the general flow of patients, and discharging of patients (Bernstein, 2017). Moreover, charge nurses assign nurses and support staff to patients. Nurses play a vital role by coordinating with other caregivers to create a plan of care for patients, provide guidance on individualized patient's needs, and respond to questions concerning protocol.

As managers, charge nurse develops, organize, and implement training that assists new nurses and staff perform their duties effectively. They are also required to evaluate the performance of nurses, document the performance, and provide guidance where the outcome is unsatisfactory (Bernstein, 2017). Charge nurses are the professionals who meet and discuss with the management of all issues affecting the staff. Other responsibilities performed by charge nurses include creating schedules, informing staff on the change of protocols, and ensure there are adequate supplies of nursing materials.

On providing care to patients, charge nurses assess, and monitor patients. However, duties involving evaluating and monitoring patients are sometimes critical due to the number of patients and the complexity of cases. Other functions performed by a charge nurse include discussing the progress of patients with doctors and monitoring and reporting any vital signs occurring in patients (Bernstein, 2017). However, performing these duties can sometimes be overwhelming, and they end up delegating to other nurses and staff.

Delegation in Caseload Management

Delegation plays a significant role in caseload management and towards various aspects of patient care. First, charge nurses can present information required by other nurses in a variety of positions since every nurse comes to new areas with formal preparation and various experiences (Sayani, 2016). Second, charge nurses get a conceptual framework that plays a role in caseload management. Another lesson that delegation offer charge nurses during caseload management entail the ability to organize large and complicated job assignments. Moreover, delegation provides charge nurses with an incremental approach that allows them to adjust smoothly from the role of student to the role of a registered nurse (Sayani, 2016). Therefore, they are protected from becoming overwhelmed with the demands of working fulltime.

Delegation provides charge nurses with assistance and support at all levels of management. Also, delegation allows them to be more efficient, productive, and build a strong relationship with other staff. There is an experience of workplace competencies, and a sense of empowerment is implemented effectively. Moreover, a charge nurse gets to know the scope of management practices, which become essential in case they become nurse managers in the future. It is a solution to stress, aggression, and anger that may occur as a result of caseload management (Sayani, 2016). Therefore, delegation in caseload management should be prioritized since it reinforces the essential skill learned during training.

Correct and Incorrect Decisions in Delegation

Charge nurses delegating workload, clinical supervision, and caseload analysis can be termed as a correct decision since it allows the subordinate to gain managerial experiences. The delegation enables them to organize, coordinate, manage, and overcome challenges that caseload management presents. Besides, overwhelming of charge nurses is minimised. However, there are some instances where the delegation of workload turns to be incorrect. Such a situation is delegating patient care-related tasks to an Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP) without supervision or consulting the state's nurse practice act or the facility's policies.

Overall, delegating a task to an Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP) can carry a significant risk to a patient. Therefore, this is an incorrect decision undertaken by a charge nurse. Before committing such an action, the charge nurse should do the following. First, the charge nurse should consider the rules and regulations of delegation as provided by the state's nurse practice act or the facility's policies. In case the UAP is given a task, he or she should perform it under the right supervision.

Conclusion

Currently, nursing caseloads are becoming more regular and sophisticated, therefore requiring charge nurses to undertake effective caseload management. It is the right of every patient to receive the right care from any nurse. Therefore, application of techniques such as work allocation and workforce planning can eliminate overworking and also ensure that patients receive the best care. With the right decisions, charge nurses can manage to provide standard caseload management beside their managerial roles.

References

Bernstein, R. (2017). Leadership in nursing: Becoming a charge nurse. Diversity Nursing. Retrieved 13 April 2020 from http://blog.diversitynursing.com/blog/leadership-in-nursing-becoming-a-charge-nurse

Sayani, A. H. (2016). Delegation, a strategy to prepare second line nursing management in health care setting. International Journal of Innovative Research and Development 5(13), 149-52. http://www.internationaljournalcorner.com/index.php/ijird_ojs/article/view/136766/95889