Which component of delegation is suitable for all members of the health care team?

The correct answer is authority. In the context of delegation within a healthcare team, authority refers to the power or right to make decisions and enforce obedience. Delegation involves assigning tasks to others while retaining accountability for the outcomes. When authority is properly delegated, it empowers team members to act within their designated roles and responsibilities, facilitating collaboration and enabling efficient care delivery.

Responsibility is linked to the obligations associated with tasks and is typically maintained by the person delegating. Competence refers to the personal qualifications and skills of individuals, which may vary across team members, and is not uniform. Accountability generally falls on the person who delegates a task, as they are responsible for ensuring that the delegated task was performed correctly. Thus, authority is the only component that can be universally applied to all members of the healthcare team, as it provides them with the necessary power to act after being assigned specific tasks.