AUTHORITY,

RESPONSIBILITY AND
ACCOUNTABILITY

By:
Nida E. Abad, RN
 AUTHORITY
 Authority it is the right to give orders and
make decisions. These rights are vested in the
individuals in virtue of their positions.
 Authority provides power because it gives the
manager or supervisor the right to give
direction to others and expect that they will
comply.
 SOURCES OF AUTHORITY
 FORMAL THEORY OF AUTHORITY
- The concept that a manager’s authority is
conferred, it exist because someone has granted it.
 
 ACCEPTANCE OF AUTHORITY VIEW
- The concept that a manager’s authority originates
only when it  has been accepted by the group or
individual over whom it is being exercised.
 
 LINE AND STAFF AUTHORITY
 LINE AUTHORITY is a chain of command, a
manager-staff associate or leader-follower
relationship.  In this relationship, the manager
delegates authority to an associate who in turn
delegates authority in staff.
 STAFF AUTHORITY refers to form of influence
used by specialized individuals who hold unique roles
in the organization and who while not directly
responsible for employees are involved with the
outcome of the employees work.
 RESPONSIBILITY
 Responsibility means an obligation to do what
is expected of a person in authority. It is also
the duty to perform the task or activity an
employee has been assigned.
 ACCOUNTABILITY
        Accountability has been considered one of
the major hallmark of the health care
professions.
 ACCOUNTABILITY-BASED
CARE DELIVERY
 essential in a value driven workplace.
Accountability is about achieving outcomes
and is the foundation for evaluation.
 PRIMARY NURSING
 Primary nursing is a system of care that was
founded in the 1960’s at a time when nurses
were searching for more independence and
autonomy in their practice.  The hallmark of
primary nursing is that one nurse maintains
24-hour accountability for a specific patients
care.
 PATIENT FOCUSED CARE
 Patient focused care is a model of
differentiated nursing practice that emphasizes
quality, cost and value. In this model, the first
line patient care manager assumes an
expanded role. She assumes accountability to
manage nurses and staff from other
departments.
 CASE MANAGEMENT
 Nursing case management is another
accountability-based care delivery system that
evolved in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s in
response to the spiraling health care costs. The
primary goal of case management is to deliver
high-quality patient care in the most cost
effective way by managing human and
material resources.