A nurse is responsible for which of the following?

• A. Their actions and for the actions of those to whom they delegate tasks
• B. Only their own actions
• C. The actions of the entire team
• D. The patient's actions

Answer: (A)

Accountability in nursing includes both your own actions and those you delegate. A nurse is responsible for what she does and for ensuring that tasks delegated to others are appropriate, properly communicated, supervised, and carried out safely. This means you must assess who is capable of performing a delegated task, provide clear instructions, monitor performance, and address any issues to protect the patient. If something goes wrong, the nurse may still be held accountable for how the delegation was handled.

This is why the other ideas don’t fit. Being responsible only for your own actions ignores the duty to supervise and ensure delegated tasks are completed correctly. Being responsible for the actions of the entire team overstates your control over every team member. Being responsible for the patient’s actions is outside a nurse’s accountability, since patients have autonomy and may act independently, within the context of care.