Which term means transferring responsibility to a person for a specific task?

• A. De-escalation
• B. Delegation
• C. Dementia
• D. Death and dying

Answer: (B)

Transferring responsibility for a specific task to another person while you remain accountable for the outcome is delegation. In a CNA context, delegation happens when a nurse assigns a task to a nursing assistant because the task is within the assistant’s scope of practice, the person is competent to perform it, and supervision is available. This lets care proceed efficiently while keeping patient safety in focus. For example, a nurse might delegate taking and charting a patient’s vital signs or assisting with activities of daily living, as long as the situation is routine and within policy. The essential point is that the task is clearly defined and falls within the recipient’s training and scope. The other terms don’t fit because de-escalation is about reducing agitation, dementia is a medical condition, and death and dying addresses end-of-life topics. Delegation is the concept that matches transferring responsibility for a task.