LEARNING KEY SKILLS IN NURSING MANAGEMENT
Delegating tasks to others can be an efficient time-management tool. Delegation is the pro- cess by which responsibility and authority are transferred to another individual. It involves as- signing tasks, determining expected results, and granting authority to the individual expected to accomplish these tasks. Delegation is perhaps the most difficult leadership skill for a nurse or a manager to acquire. Today, when more assistive personnel are being used to carry out the nurse’s work and when the manager’s span of control has expanded, appropriate delegation skills are essential for success. Chapter 10 discusses delegation in detail.
Determining Priorities To establish priorities, take into consideration both short- and long-term goals. Categorize them as:
● What you must do ● What you should do if possible ● What you could do if you have time to spare (Jones & Loftus, 2009)
Next determine the importance and urgency of each activity as shown in Table 13-1. Activities can be identified as:
● Urgent and important ● Important but not urgent ● Urgent but not important ● Busywork ● Wasted time