Staff Authority

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What is authority? How does staff authority differentiate between staff authority and functional authority? These are questions that must be answered and understood for us to fully understand the burden authority can place on individuals in both private and professional settings. Authority is defined as : “1.Institutionalized and legal power inherent in a particular job, function, or position that is meant to enable its holder to successfully carry out his or her responsibilities.
2.Power that is delegated formally. It includes a right to command a situation, commit resources, give orders and expect them to be obeyed, it is always accompanied by an equal responsibility for one's actions or a failure to act.
3.An agency or body created by
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A working example of authority and responsibility in the field of emergency medical services would start with the field crew that provides the emergency medical and transport services. The field crew is the most important aspect of the company because without them the services provided wouldn’t be available and this is where the crew authority begins. The EMS field crew has the authority and responsibility to provide the correct and appropriate medical care to the patient’s requesting their services. The EMS field supervisor is then authorized and responsible to ensure the crew members are adequately trained and equipped to supply the services desired. The regional manager has the authorization and bears the responsibility to supply the field supervisor the tools they need to provide the necessary personnel and equipment so that the field crew can deliver the services needed by the patient’s requesting services to be rendered. As you can see with each step up the career ladder the individual's authority increases but so does the responsibility for the personnel and equipment that they need to deliver quality treatment and transport to our customers otherwise known as our