A comparison of two methods to teach effective delegation decision making to hospital RNs

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the effectiveness of two teaching methods on hospital RNs' delegation decision-making. The problem was to test whether a role-play simulation, when added to a lecture with discussion teaching method, would be a more effective teaching method than lecture with discussion alone. The data were collected via the Nursing Assessment Decision Grid (NADG), which was used as a pretest/posttest measure, and the Nursing Demographic Questionnaire (NDQ), designed specifically for this study. The sample population consisted of a control group composed of 37 subjects and an experimental group comprised of 35 subjects. RNs in central Texas were invited to attend an inservice on Delegation Decision-Making via flyers, which also indicated participants would be invited to participate in a research study. At the beginning of each session, they were invited to participate in the study. The cover letter was read and attendees were given 20 minutes to complete the pretest NADG and the NDG. The educational content was then taught using the lecture with discussion teaching method for the control group or the lecture with discussion plus added role-play simulation for the experimental group. Attendees were given 20 minutes to complete the posttest NADG. The control group of 37 subjects was achieved over four sessions. The experimental group of 35 subjects was achieved over four additional sessions. The total sample was 72 RNs. There was a significant difference in pretest and posttest control group NADG scores (t = 2.525, p. = 05) and in pretest and posttest experimental group NADG scores ( t = 2.188, p. = 05), which demonstrated that the lecture with discussion teaching method was effective in teaching hospital RNs to be better delegation decision-makers. There was not a significant difference in control and experimental group posttest scores (F = 0.441, p = .50), which demonstrates lack of support for role-playing, as used in this study, as a teaching method that is effective in teaching hospital RNs to be better delegators. Replicating this study with a larger sample size and a more structured role-play may lend more support for role-play simulation as a teaching method for delegation decision-making.