Final answer:
Both the nurse and the nursing assistant share responsibility for the outcome of a delegated task, which is true. The nurse retains overall accountability while the assistant is responsible for executing the task as instructed.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is true that both the nurse and the nursing assistant share the responsibility for the outcome of a delegated task. In the healthcare setting, delegation is an essential component of nursing practice, which involves transferring the responsibility of performing a task to another person while retaining the accountability for the outcome. When a nurse delegates a task to a nursing assistant, the nurse is still accountable for the overall nursing care of the patient, including the tasks that were delegated.
The nursing assistant, on receiving the delegation, has the responsibility to carry out the task according to the standards and procedures instructed, and to communicate any issues back to the nurse. Therefore, both the nurse's responsibility and the nursing assistant's role in the task are pivotal for patient safety and quality of care.