Processes underpin teamwork, authority and professional liability in care delivery

In a recent online lecture, one of my students asked for clarification on the difference between delegating and referring a task.

While on a clinical placement, their manager would sometimes say they were delegating a task to them and sometimes say they were referring a task, causing some confusion about the difference between the two.

Delegation and referral are terms you will become very familiar with as nurses. Both are processes that are used to share the delivery of care between team members, and although there are similarities between them, there are also differences.

Delegation in nursing practice

The term delegation is used when one