A question of delegation: unlicensed assistive personnel and the professional nurse

As the American population of older adults increase and the nursing shortage widens, professional nurse caring for older adults are often confronted with managing an increased number of patients. To care for more patients safely and cost effectively, many health care facilities and organizations are creating positions for and utilizing a large number of unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). Although unlicensed, these health care workers have become a fixture in health care facilities, especially those that care for older adults. To provide competent care for a larger population of patients, the professional nurse has had to become proficient in delegation. while delegating tasks to UAP may seem like a quick and easy determination, a great deal of accountability, responsibility, and liability is place on the health care facility and the individual nurses.