FAQs

FAQs of Nurse Delegation

What is nurse delegation?

Nurse Delegation is a service where a registered nurse teaches caregivers how to complete specific nursing tasks. Nurse Delegation is a State of Washington law that allows caregivers to provide care that would normally be provided by a licensed nurse.

What does a nurse delegator do?

The nurse delegator does a comprehensive assessment of the client to determine that a client is stable and predictable for delegation. The nurse delegator ensures that any delegated caregiver has met all Washington state training requirements and is certified with the state. The nurse delegator trains and supervises the caregivers to perform specific tasks. The nurse delegator provides education to caregivers and ongoing evaluation and assessment of both the client and the caregiver, at minimum of every 90 days.

Who can be a delegator in the State of Washington?

Any registered nurse who has a current and active license in the State of Washington can delegate.

What are some commonly delegated tasks?

• Oral medication administration
• Topical medication administration
• Eye drops
• Ear drops
• Rectal medication administration
• Blood glucose monitoring
• Insulin administration
• Nebulizer treatments

Can any task be delegated?

No. These tasks are not eligible for delegation:

• Sterile procedures
• Central line maintenance
• Administration of medications by injections (except insulin)
• Any acts that require nursing judgement are not delegated.

For more information State of Washington – tasks that cannot be delegated

Where does Empowering People delegate?

Only in the approved settings that the State of Washington allows for nurse delegation:

• Adult family homes
• Assisted living facilities
• A client’s home
• A certified community residential programs for the developmentally disabled

How does a caregiver become eligible for delegation?

The caregiver must meet nurse delegation training requirements that the Registered Nurse can verify prior to any delegation taking place.

For more information State of Washington nurse delegation training requirements

FAQ – Home Care Aide Education

How do I get my Home Care Aide (HCA) certification?

Washington state law requires that potential Home Care Aide (HCA) applicants complete 75 hours of training in order to apply to be an HCA. This training includes core basic curriculum, also called the fundamentals of care, hands-on skills training, and specialty training in areas such as dementia and mental health.

Once you have completed your 75 hours of training, you must provide the state with your 75 hour certificate and complete an HCA application through the State of Washington. When your application is processed, the state will contact you to schedule your HCA exam. The exam includes a written portion and a hands-on skills portion. Both parts of the test must be passed in order to receive your Home Care Aide certification.

For more information State of Washington – home care aide requirements

What classes do you offer?

Empowering People offers the full 75 hour training package needed for your 75 hour certificate. This 75 hour HCA training package includes:

• 5 hours orientation & safety
• 38 hours HCA core basic/fundamentals of care curriculum 
• 16 hours skills training
• Population specific training: 8 hours dementia & 8 hours mental health
• Dementia and Mental Health specialty classes can be taken as part of the package or alone.

Empowering People also offers Nurse Delegation Core Training (NDCT) for caregivers who might assume the role of specific nursing tasks. Nurse delegation with special focus on diabetes, is also available for caregivers who might participate in the delegated task of administering insulin injections. NDCT is offered onsite or as self-study. Nurse delegation diabetes is offered only as self-study.

For more information Empowering People Education and Training

How long are the classes?

Virtual or onsite classes are one-day, full-day classes, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The skills class set is 16 hours. The online classes included in the 75 hour HCA package are a total of 43 hours and are self-paced.

Is there a test in class?

Yes, each class has a test at the end of the day. You must pass the test in order to receive the state completion certificate for each class. The online courses have quizzes at the end of each section and a final test at the completion of the online coursework. The skills class does not have a test, but it does simulate the skills activities that you will do for the state skills exam. 

For more information Empowering People Education and Training