Delegation and Supervision in Nursing Care

A registered nurse (RN) is assigned to oversee the care of four patients on a medical-surgical unit. Among these patients is one who is newly diagnosed with diabetes and requires education on self-management techniques. The RN is responsible for delegating appropriate tasks to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) while ensuring safety and effective supervision as part of the management of care.

The RN delegates the task of assisting the patient with daily hygiene to a UAP but retains the responsibility for educating the patient about their new diagnosis. Fill in the blank: The RN must ensure that the UAP understands the limits of their role and the principle of __________ when tasks are delegated.