Nursing Leadership College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nursing Leadership College - Essay Example This being a very reasonable business strategy, hospitals have downsized their nursing staff. The registered nurse-patient ratio is definitely decreasing at this time when there are more patients who are sicker. Registered nurses are thus required to delegate nursing tasks as more health care facilities utilize UAPs to attempt to resolve cost-containment issues. Delegation is defined as the process of transferring a specific task to be performed in a situation to another competent individual (Delaune & Ladner, 2006). However, the ultimate responsibility and accountability of the patient's health care still lies on the registered nurse. It is only the task that is delegated, not the responsibility (Delaune and Ladner, 2006). UAPs are allowed to perform nursing procedures provided that it is under the supervision of a registered nurse but the nurse is still accountable for this delegation (Best, Cohen, Dykes, Fredrick, & Heller, 2000). There are only a number of procedures that are allowed to be delegated to UAPs. More invasive procedures and procedures that require the nurse's professional judgement may not be delegated. An argument, however, still remains of whether this strategy is really cost-efficient than having more registered nurses in the staff. Nurses develop judgements using critical thinking to determine what to observe directly or indirectly for patient responses to come up with the proper nursing diagnosis and plan of care. This is one of the many reasons why even the most experienced and most competent UAP cannot measure up to even a new nurse ("Nurisng Legal Issues," 2006). The strategy of replacing registered nurses to UAPs may be cost-effective for the hospital. However, the quality of care that patients receive may be compromised. As there are more patients and lesser nurses, the practicing registered nurses are more tired and stressed. In addition to having more patients, these nurses have the additional responsibility of supervising the UAPs under their wing. If these unlicensed assistants make any mistake and compromise the health of a patient, it is the nurse who is still accountable. The use of unlicensed assistants helps the hospital in their cost-cutting ordeals, but does not help the nurse or the patient. If any, it only gives the nurse more workload and responsibility, and less personalized attention and care for patients. The utilization of UAPs would be more efficient if there are still more nurses. On the other hand, administrators claim that having more UAPs would relieve nurses of menial tasks such as taking temperatures, changing bedpans and feeding patients so that they can concentrate on assessment and devicing the plan of care (Gordon, 1995). This, however, redefines the nursing process to a kind of dettached and impersonal care, and cuts off the importance of the relationship that is built by the nurse with the patient to give utmost personalized care. The American Association of Nurse Attorneys has proposed that only the UAPs who have undergone competent training and evaluation be allowed to practice alongside nurses (The American Assoc