The healthcare system is a high-pressure environment that involves prioritized tasks and quick decision making. Given the critical nature of healthcare services, delegation may not be the most preferred method of management mainly due to the nature of the work. Although monumental choices may not fall on a single institution, it is imperative for practitioners to invest in harnessing and developing delegation skills as individuals. Delegation may help in relieving the burden on nurses and improving the quality of services provided to the patient. However, it is crucial to discern the types of tasks that may be delegated and those that should not. Due to the development in the Medicine field, physicians and nurses are burdened with more responsibilities. As the challenges in the field of study continue to pile with every development, the delegation has been proven to be a well-documented solution. A systemized delegation can aid in notably the mortality rate. Nonetheless, the irresponsible use of delegation power can cause irreparable damages in the healthcare system. The increased administration and medical responsibilities have been discovered to be perilous to the professional relationship between practitioners and patients thus requiring delegations.
Delegation is a cardinal function in every organization including the healthcare sector. In the prevailing business environment, delegation has become increasingly paramount. For a proper integration of management time, skills, and equipment, delegation is mandated (Riisgaard et al., 2017). Not only does delegation help in reducing the load of work but it also most importantly help in providing effective services, growing the business, and building trust amongst practitioners and patients. The healthcare system consists of both managerial and administrative functions. Following the growing demand for quality health care and the increasing shortfall of service providers, the need for delegation is inevitable. Dawson, Buchan, Duffield, Homer, & Wijewardena (2013) asserts that “Task shifting/sharing has been highlighted as an important strategy to optimize health worker performance in resource-poor settings (PMNCH/WHO 2010) and provide the right mix of skills required to undertake the activities required for the service.” Delegation may be used to provide direction and organize the responsibilities evenly for convenience and efficiency. Delegation is a substantial tool but may also be misused at the wrong hands. Irresponsible delegation in the healthcare system may lead to fatal consequences such as loss of life or impairment. Successful delegation relies on nurse-patient and nurse-doctor relationships.
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Delegation is a monumental aspect of leadership. Undeniably, the concept of leadership has been transformed. The healthcare system has shifted to a more team-based operation as opposed to the individual model used before. The previous affirmation does not only refer to doctors but all practitioners (Xu, 2017). The need for a proper and adequate delegation system can save time. In the healthcare system time is an essential factor. The lives of individuals depend on the timely response of practitioners. Therefore, a delegation will help in reducing the amount of time wasted in the process of service delivery. The system involves individuals with unique and equally valuable skills (Lichtenstein et al., 2015). Hence, these individuals should be encouraged to work as a cohesive unit to ease the workload. Many may argue that a delegation is an act of replacement but the presumption is utterly fallacious. Delegation is described as a consensual activity where a well-defined task is given to qualified personnel to alleviate any stress brought about by more responsibilities.
Delegation is widely practiced in many countries in the world. A recent study has concluded that a high degree of delegation within the healthcare system has led to a rise in job satisfaction. Riisgaard & Nexøe (2017) explain that “Job satisfaction is found to be associated with good quality care and is therefore important to the patients’ care as well.” However, it should be noted that there is a great variation in the extents in which practitioners and service providers may delegate tasks depending on the educational background and nature of the task. The individual shifting tasks should be in a position to discern the education level and qualification of the person before finally assigning the particular job. Thus, delegation, unlike common perception, is a complex activity that requires extensive training. Riisgaard, Nexøe, Le, Søndergaard, & Ledderer (2016) deduce that delegating authorities should, therefore, only be placed on leaders within the system to avoid the liability of misappropriation of power. Delegation should be carefully done by ensuring role certainty, trust is upheld, reciprocity, adequate communication, positive attitudes, and accountability.
Barriers of a delegation include having a fearful attitude. Many individuals lack confidence in and are in constant fear of making mistakes. In every operation, mistakes are likely to occur. As a good leader, one should be able to perceive criticism and mistakes positively as an opportunity to become better (Xu, 2017). Mistakes may very well be lessons for the team. Instead of being afraid to commit errors, team members are urged to keep an open mind on the learning opportunities presented. Critics have, however, argued that the medical realm is a vital industry that involves life and death situations which require practitioners to exercise extreme care. While the previous statement is factual, physicians and nurses are required to learn their own fears and relieve themselves of the pressure of perfection (Riisgaard et al., 2017). Mistakes may be eliminated by frequent training of personnel and thorough scrutiny of the performances of all service providers. The lack of trust amongst team members is the leading cause of accidents and incompetence since the group dwells on individuality instead of synergy. Trust is an irreplaceable attribute in the process of delegation whose absence may hold back the process and cause poor results.
Another setback in the delegation process is an unhealthy working environment. In every working place, competition is encouraged to increase the level of creativity. However, in some intricate conditions, competition may turn toxic and brew indifference amongst colleagues. The presence of intense and unhealthy competition at work will curtail any successful efforts of delegation. Individuals may be reluctant to work together because of feelings of envy. Additionally, the pernicious attitude of “I can do better” has also proven to be a hinder in the successful orchestration of delegation (Riisgaard et al., 2017). A senior position officer may refuse to entrust someone else with the duties on board and instead choose to do the work themselves. In the event, anything could occur. The real purpose of delegating is to save time and make work relatively easier. Refusing to consign places more pressure on one person and could ultimately cost the lives of patients. Thus, leaders are advised to lower their high standards to acceptable levels and hence give other employees a chance to prove their competency and be part of the team (Dawson, Buchan, Duffield, Homer, & Wijewardena, 2013). Barriers to proper delegation often stem from within individuals, therefore, people are required to reflect on themselves and correct their attitudes and apprehensions.
As discussed above, delegation is an indispensable quality in the healthcare sector as it not only prevents time wastage but also increases the morale and confidence of workers. For the delegation process to be yielding, one is necessitated to take certain prerequisites. First of all, the leader is required to pick qualified people for the tasks. The former assertion implies that the individuals selected should be able to perform their duties to the full of their capacity without any errors. Riisgaard, Nexøe, Le, Søndergaard, & Ledderer (2016) confirm that having a team who are competent minimizes the probabilities of any perils occurring. Also, the team leader is required to keenly select the tasks to be delegated and ensure that every person is allocated responsibilities within their capabilities (Xu, 2017). Thus, the employees would not be subjected to any pressure giving them ample space to deliver services to patients. Before confidently resuming with other responsibilities, the person delegating has to ensure that the recipient of the tasks has not only accepted but also given their verbal confirmation to the commitment.
Delegation in the health sector is governed by law following the critical nature of the service delivered. Delegation should be conducted under the acceptable standards of health care. The process should involve consent and confirmation from both parties. One should not just assume that the other person has accepted the obligations bestowed on them but instead ensure that they verbally or otherwise document their agreement (Riisgaard et al., 2017). The reason why the two factors are pertinent in the matter is because of the sense of liability and responsibility. When one cordially accepts to delegate their work they are accepting the risks that may occur in the case that the work is not well performed. On the other hand, the individual accepting the duties agrees to be responsible and be personally liable for the patient during the service delivery (Dawson, Buchan, Duffield, Homer, & Wijewardena, 2013). Accountability is a profoundly salient quality in a delegation that should not be underplayed.
Delegation is one of those consequential activities that every organization should practice. The benefits of delegation overwrite any demerits of the process saves time, increases employee confidence, and quality of work provided. Delegation is, nonetheless, faced with obstacles that prevent efficient health care delivery. Some of the factors hindering delegation include mistrust, lack of communication, and unhealthy competition. Delegation should be done within specified rules to make it impactful. The law mandates that both parties in the delegation contract should consent and affirm to the agreement. There should not be any room for assumptions as that may give room to underperformance and disappointments. Delegation is necessary for establishing a strong practitioner-patient relationship and increasing the quality of services.
References
Dawson, A. J., Buchan, J., Duffield, C., Homer, C. S., & Wijewardena, K. (2013). Task shifting and sharing in maternal and reproductive health in low-income countries: a narrative synthesis of current evidence. Health Policy and Planning , 29 (3), 396-408. doi:10.1093/heapol/czt026
Lichtenstein, B. J., Reuben, D. B., Karlamangla, A. S., Han, W., Roth, C. P., & Wenger, N. S. (2015). Effect of Physician Delegation to Other Healthcare Providers on the Quality of Care for Geriatric Conditions. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society , 63 (10), 2164-2170. doi:10.1111/jgs.13654
Riisgaard, H., Nexøe, J., Le, J. V., Søndergaard, J., & Ledderer, L. (2016). Relations between task delegation and job satisfaction in general practice: a systematic literature review. BMC Family Practice , 17 (1). doi:10.1186/s12875-016-0565-1
Riisgaard, H., & Nexøe, J. (2017). Successful task delegation in general practice – a way to maintain primary health care in the future. Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care , 35 (2), 111-112. doi:10.1080/02813432.2017.1335056
Riisgaard, H., Søndergaard, J., Munch, M., Le, J. V., Ledderer, L., Pedersen, L. B., & Nexøe, J. (2017). Associations between degrees of task delegation and job satisfaction of general practitioners and their staff: a cross-sectional study. BMC Health Services Research , 17 (1). doi:10.1186/s12913-017-1984-y
Xu, J. (2017). Leadership theory in clinical practice. Chinese Nursing Research , 4 (4), 155-157. doi:10.1016/j.cnre.2017.10.001
