Managing Conflict Resolution: Delegation

This article discusses managing conflict resolution through delegation in nursing. It highlights the impact of unresolved conflicts and strategies for resolving delegation conflicts. The article emphasizes the importance of effective communication, practicing delegation, and building trust and positive relationships. The subject is nursing, and the course code and college/university are not mentioned.

Running head: MANAGING CONFLICT RESOLUTION, DELEGATION 1
Managing Conflict Resolution: Delegation
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation

MANAGING CONFLICT RESOLUTION, DELEGATION 2
Managing Conflict Resolution: Delegation
Introduction
Delegation is the assignment of a task together with the responsibility to another
capable person, while the person delegating retains overall accountability for the task
(Josephsen, 2013). In nursing, the delegation must be based on three main criteria: the best
interests of the patient, legal guidelines and the institution’s policy (Bergman & Shubert, 2013).
Delegation is one of the most important leadership skills to an RN, as it encompasses other
leadership skills such as critical thinking and interpersonal skills (Marquis, & Huston, 2012).
The choice for delegation as the topic is informed by the fact that it is a requisite skill in
Registered Nurses (RN) due to an inherent imbalance in the nursing professionals relative to the
workload. Diana, a Registered Nurse, is fresh into the job and faces challenges in the
delegation. She is overwhelmed by the job, and she is not confident in delegating some of the
tasks to the assistive staff.
Impact of the Issue if it is Left Unresolved
Registered nurses face challenging workloads at the hospitals due to a shortage of staff,
and they need to delegate some duties to assistive staff to provide the best care for the
patients and also avoid overloading which can lead to burnout. If the issue of conflicts in the
delegation is not resolved, the Registered Nurse will eventually be unable to provide quality
care for the patient. The RN will be overloaded and tired such that he/she will be unable to
perform some critical tasks which she cannot delegate because she exhausted herself running
around performing all tasks including tasks which she could confidently delegate. The nursing

MANAGING CONFLICT RESOLUTION, DELEGATION 3
professional fails to delegate due to inexperience, being a workaholic, feeling insecure, and
being unsure of the best way to delegate (Saccomano & Pontozipp, 2011).
Research indicates that experienced nurses readily delegate tasks compared to RNs who
are new at the workplace. Inexperienced RNs are not properly equipped for delegation, and
most are unwilling to delegate tasks for fear that the assistive staff will not be able to perform
the tasks properly. All these challenges in delegation make the work of the nursing professional
complicated and tiresome. The RNs who do not delegate end up spending a lot of time on a
task that assistive staff can comfortably handle and spend less time on tasks only he or she can
handle (Brewer, Kovner, Greene, Tukov-Shuser, & Djukic, 2011).
Strategies for Resolving the Delegation Conflicts
1. Effective Communication
Communication skills are basic skills to any professional, and especially a Registered
Nurse. Communicating effectively and appropriately ensures that there are no gaps in
explanations about a task, and the nursing assistants can perform the delegated tasks
effectively (National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2012). Daria’s main problem is the
experience with the kind of delegation that other RNs are engaging in, giving the assistant
nurses inadequate information leading to compromises in the patient’s care.
2. Practice delegating
The only way to overcome the fear of delegating is to start practicing it. Daria should
start by evaluating the tasks she knows an assistive staff can perform. While delegating the
task, she should ensure that the delegate gets all the necessary information for the
performance of the task. Daria should then supervise as the assistive staff carries out the task,

MANAGING CONFLICT RESOLUTION, DELEGATION 4
and be at hand in case the person needs more information. In time, and with enough practice,
the RN will be delegating effectively saving him/her time for critical nursing tasks that cannot be
delegated. It is important to ask for help from other RNs or from a Patient Care Technician (PCT)
and never assumes they would volunteer to ease the workload (Saccomano & Pontozipp, 2011).
3. Build Trust and Positive relationships
One of Daria’s concerns with delegation is that she does not trust the skill mix in the
assistive staff owing to the fact that she is knew at the workplace. The easiest way for new RNs
to learn the skills prevalent in the team and thus delegate effectively is through establishing
rapport with the members. Validating and complimenting the assistive staff on completion of
tasks, enquiring about their skills and comfort levels in various skills will create rapport.
Conclusion
Delegation is an important function in the nursing profession, and failure to muster the
function leads to overworking and fatigue, factors that not only compromises the quality of
care for the patients. Also, the heavy workload due to lack of effective delegation leads to a
high turnover of novice RNs. Strictly following the five rights of the delegation, practicing it
often and advancing one’s skills on the same will solve the conflicts related to delegating.

MANAGING CONFLICT RESOLUTION, DELEGATION 5
References
Bergman, C., & Shubert, L. (2013). Interactive strategies: Time management, prioritization and
delegation. Nurse Educator, 38 (4), 137–138. doi:10.1097/nne.0b013e318296dcb6.
Brewer, C. Kovner, C. Greene, W. Tukov-Shuser, M. & Djukic, M. (2011). Predictors of actual
turnover in a national sample of newly licensed registered nurses employed in hospitals.
Journal of Advanced Nursing, 68 (3), 521-538.
Josephsen, J. (2013). Teaching nursing delegation: An online case study. Teaching and Learning
in Nursing, 8 (3), 83–87.
Marquis, B., & Huston, C. (2012). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing (7th
ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Mueller, C., & Vogelsmeier, A. (2013). Effective delegation: Understanding responsibility,
authority and accountability. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 4 (3), 20–27.
National Council of State Boards of Nursing (2012). Transition to practice is a trademark.
Retrieved from https://www.ncsbn.org/323.htm.
Saccomano, S., & Pontozipp, G. (2011). Registered nurse leadership style and confidence in
delegation. Journal of Nursing Management, 19 (4), 522–533.