Reference no: EM133220203

Sam is a new nurse assigned to a busy medical-surgical unit. He asks the nurse aide to walk the patient in Room 244 while he admits a patient. The patient in Room 244 is 3 days post-hysterectomy and has been walking in the halls for 2 days with minimal difficulty. Sam tells the nurse aide to walk the patient only to the nurse's station and back. He also says that if the patient's heart rate raises more than 20 beats/min above the resting rate, the aide should stop, have the patient sit, and inform Sam immediately.

The nurse aide misunderstands Sam's instructions and instead ambulates the patient in Room 234. This patient is post angioplasty, and it would be the first time he has ambulated since the procedure that morning. During the procedure the patient feels faint and is lowered to the floor with a growing bulge in his groin and the nurse aide informs Sam.

Answer the following questions:

1. Did Sam appropriately delegate in this scenario? Where did the breakdown in communication occur?
2. What are the rights of delegation? What should Sam have done differently?
3. Use research, not professional opinion: Who is accountable for the negative outcomes of the patient in Room 234? Would it be Sam, who directed the aide to ambulate the patient in Room 244 or the nurse aide, who actually ambulated the patient in Room 234 or both?