Many nurses think that they are responsible for all care provided to their patients—even care they delegate to other staff. If you do delegate tasks to staff, you could be held liable for the actions of others only if you fail to act as any “reasonably prudent” nurse would in a similar situation or fail to monitor the care the delegate provides.

To protect yourself from liability, verify that the person to whom you delegate a task is qualified to carry out the assignment safely and accurately and is legally authorized to do so. Many facilities conduct competency assessments of certain employees, including nursing assistants and certified nursing aides. In general, these assessments can help you determine what activities these staffers are qualified to perform.

Before delegating a task, confirm the individual’s qualifications, including level of education, experience and training. For example, ask an LPN how many times he or she has performed a certain task or how he or she would carry out the assignment. Better yet, if the staff members are new to you, ask to see their resumes or staff development records documenting their skills and/or other training.

Do not delegate a task if you are unsure of the individual’s abilities or if you discover that the assignment cannot be carried out safely. If you assign a task to someone who you know, or should have known, is unqualified to complete it, you could be charged with failing to delegate properly. If a patient is harmed as a result, you and your facility could be sued for negligence.