Delegation: a core competency for the graduate nurse

Abstract

Delegation is central to nursing practice, thus, it is an expectation that the graduate nurse will have the knowledge, skill, judgment, and personal attributes to delegate nursing care effectively in today’s complex healthcare environment. There has been inadequate preparation in prelicensure nursing education to prepare graduates for this essential competency. The goal of this project is, through an integrative literature review, to provide foundational knowledge of delegation in nursing. Themes arising from this review are then used to inform a curriculum blueprint designed for the instruction of the competency of delegation in a four year undergraduate nursing degree program. A theoretical framework of Caring Science, constructivist learning theory, and transformation pedagogy guides this process. The intent of this project is to offer to nurse educators and students support in their collaborative engagement with delegation as a core competency for the nursing graduate.