Can a nurse delegate or receive delegation from another regulated health care professional?

• A. Yes, a nurse may both delegate and receive delegation from another regulated health care professional.
• B. No, nurses cannot delegate to others who are not nurses.
• C. Only physicians can delegate tasks to registered nurses.
• D. Delegation is only permitted within hospital settings.

Answer: (A)

Delegation in health care is about shifting a task to someone with the competence to perform it while keeping accountability for the patient’s outcome. A nurse may both delegate tasks to other regulated professionals and receive delegation from them, as long as the task fits the recipient’s scope of practice and training and the right supervision and workplace policies are followed. This mirrors real-world practice where collaboration across professional roles helps ensure safe, efficient care.

The idea that delegation is limited to one direction, limited to nurses only, or limited to hospital settings doesn’t fit how delegation works in regulated health care. Tasks can be assigned from physicians or other qualified professionals to nurses, and nurses can delegate appropriate tasks to other regulated professionals or delegated staff, depending on regulatory scope and policies. The key is that each task stays within the delegatee’s competence and regulatory scope, with clear accountability for the outcome.