Final answer:
Delegation is the process in nursing where a nurse transfers the authority to perform a certain duty to another competent individual while maintaining overall responsibility for the patient's care.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to the question is 'a) Delegation'. Delegation in nursing is when a licensed nurse transfers the authority to perform a specific nursing duty in a given patient situation to another healthcare professional, who is competent to perform that duty. It is an essential nursing skill that involves the allocation of tasks to ensure efficient and effective patient care.
However, the nurse who delegates the duty retains the overall responsibility for the patient's care. Supervision, autonomy, and collaboration are important concepts in healthcare but do not refer to the transfer of authority to perform nursing duties.