Delegation and Assignment

Delegation is the transfer of authority to perform a selected nursing task to a competent individual in a specific situation, while the registered nurse retains accountability for the overall outcome. It is one of the most frequently tested topics on the NCLEX-RN because delegation errors directly cause patient harm and reflect failures of professional nursing judgment. Delegation is the everyday mechanism by which the RN, who cannot personally perform every task for every patient, safely extends care through licensed practical or vocational nurses and unlicensed assistive personnel while preserving patient safety. The defining principle is that delegation never transfers accountability. The RN remains responsible for selecting an appropriate task, choosing the right person, giving clear direction, and following up on the result. Delegation must be distinguished from assignment, which is directing a team member to carry out tasks that already fall within that person's own legal scope of practice and job description. In practice the RN assigns routine tasks to licensed practical or vocational nurses and to unlicensed assistive personnel within their established roles, and applies the formal delegation decision...