Who may delegate or receive delegation?

• A. A nurse may delegate or receive delegation from another regulated health care professional.
• B. Only physicians may delegate to nurses.
• C. Only in hospital settings may delegation occur.
• D. Delegation is only possible for unregulated providers.

Answer: (A)

Delegation in healthcare is about transferring a defined task to someone else who is competent to perform it under appropriate supervision, while the delegating professional remains accountable for the outcome. The idea is that tasks can move between regulated professionals within their legal scope of practice and to other personnel who are trained and authorized to perform them.

In this context, a nurse may delegate tasks or have tasks delegated to them by other regulated health care professionals, such as physicians, therapists, or advanced practice clinicians, as long as the task is within the receiving person’s scope and the delegating professional ensures proper supervision and competence. This reflects how care teams coordinate to use each member’s skills effectively, across various settings, not just in hospitals.

The other options are less accurate because delegation isn’t limited to physicians only, isn’t restricted to hospital settings, and isn’t exclusive to unregulated providers.