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BCCNM board approves new delegation practice standard


Jan 26, 2023

​The BCCNM board on Jan. 26, 2023, approved revisions to the Delegating Tasks to Unregulated Care Providers practice standard for nurse practitioners (NPs) and registered n​urses (RNs) and extended this practice standard to now apply to registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs). This standard, now called Delegation to Unregulated Care Providers, takes effect March 1, 2023.

Back​ground

The Delegating Tasks to Unregulated Care Providers practice standard was established several years ago to outline the expectations for RNs and NPs to meet when delegating care to unregulated care providers (UCPs). 

While the legacy College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of British Columbia (CRPNBC) had published a guideline, Delegating to Unregulated Care Providers, it was not transferred from CRPNBC to the BC College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP). The lack of standards for RPNs to follow when delegating to UCPs was identified as a gap.

Consultation feedback, reviewed literature, and jurisdictional scan findings underscore the complexity and difficulty of delegation, the challenges faced by nurses when delegating care to unregulated care providers, and the critical role that nurses play to ensure client safety. In particular, BCCNM's consultations included the First Nations Health Authority, who are now facilitating a connection with an Indigenous healthcare team on a learning resource case study that reflects the unique context of delegation within First Nations communities. 

The amendments to the Delegating Tasks to Unregulated Care Providers practice standard (with new title Delegation to Unregulated Care Providers) include:

  • ​​Extending the re​quirements to be followed when delegating to UCPs to apply to RPN practice in addition to RN and NP practice.​
  • ​​Clarifying the requirements for nurses and nurse practitioners to follow when delegating care to UCPs including:
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  • ​their accountability and responsibility when delegating activities to UCPs;
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  • ​factors to consider when delegating to UCPs that include the client, activity to be delegated, care environment, UCP, and level of supervision needed by the UCP to safely perform the delegated activity; 
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  • ​communication and collaboration with the client (or their substitute decision-maker), the UCP receiving the delegation and the nursing/health care team about the delegation decision, the delegation process, and continuity of care related to the delegated activity. 
  • ​Ensuring alignment with the direction the Ministry of Health is taking to realign the provision of care by Unregulated Care Providers to the provincial regulatory framework. 

​Quest​ions?

Email practice@bccnm.ca