April 16, 2024
In healthcare, especially in-home health care, nurse delegation plays a key role in ensuring that patients receive the care they need. If you or someone you care about is thinking about getting healthcare services at home, it’s good to know what nurse delegation is and how it can make a big difference in the type and quality of care you receive.
What is nurse delegation?
Nurse delegation is when registered nurses (RNs) give specific nursing tasks to CNAs. In Illinois, this is limited to giving medication.
Our use of nurse delegation is one of several factors that set Wellspring apart from other home-care agencies. At Wellspring, our director of clinical services, who is an RN, supervises all of our in-home caregivers, and can delegate tasks to them. (Read more in an earlier blog post.)
How does nurse delegation benefit consumers?
Specialized care at home: Nurse delegation lets people get different kinds of specialized healthcare services while staying at home. This is especially helpful for children and adults with complex medical needs who want to keep living at home. Patients can get the care they need in familiar, comfortable surroundings.
Personalized care plans: Wellspring’s professional care team follows the care plan that each client’s healthcare providers have created. Nurse delegation helps ensure the patient receives the care they need when they need it.
Continuity of care: Assigning tasks to CNAs helps Wellspring’s clinical director/RN ensure consistent care for patients. With too many care agencies, frequently staff changes cause disruptions in care. Continuity of care is especially important for people who are moving from a hospital or rehab center back home. A seamless transition minimizes disruptions and reduces the chance of complications or readmissions.
Better quality of life: When nurses and trained caregivers take care of people at home, the patients can still do the things they love and have a better quality of life, even if they’re dealing with health issues.
Why nurse delegation?
Nurse delegation is growing in popularity for all of the above reasons. But it’s also being driven by changes in the healthcare workplace. As an article in the New York Times explains, a shortage of nurses has affected U.S. healthcare for years. Then, during the pandemic,
“Nurses left the work force to care for their own out-of-school children, or abandoned the profession permanently. And the surging demand for personnel at hospitals, testing sites and vaccination centers drew nurses away with as much as double the wages they earn caring for patients at home.”
NurseJournal reported that “the shortage of full-time registered nurses (RNs) is projected to peak in 2027 and continue until 2035.”
At the same time, the number of children and adults with complex medical needs who are living at home has been rising. “About 4.5 million Americans with illnesses and disabilities are cared for at home by aides, therapists or nurses,” according to the New York Times article.
Nurse delegation fills an urgent need
Nurse delegation is an important part of receiving high-quality care at home. Thanks to the expertise of our registered nurse and CNAs, Wellspring clients can enjoy personalized, accessible, and cost-effective healthcare solutions in the comfort of their own homes. Contact us for more information.