Question

Difficulty: EasyClient Care Assignments and Collaboration

While organizing the daily workflow on a rehabilitation unit, a practical nurse (PN) prepares to delegate tasks to an assistive personnel (AP). Which of the following tasks is safe and appropriate for the PN to delegate?

  1. Assisting a medically stable client with daily hygiene and ambulation.Answer
  2. B
    Assessing a client's skin for signs of breakdown during repositioning.
  3. C
    Applying a prescription antibiotic ointment to a client's healing wound.
  4. D
    Explaining the purpose of a low-sodium diet to a newly admitted client.

Answer

Assisting a medically stable client with daily hygiene and ambulation.
The correct choice identifies a task that involves standard activities of daily living (ADLs) for a stable client. Assisting with hygiene and ambulation is highly predictable, has minimal potential for risk, and does not require nursing judgment, making it safe to delegate to an AP.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core principles of safe delegation to assistive personnel.
Assistive personnel can perform routine, standard tasks that do not require clinical judgment.
Delegation guidelines dictate that tasks assigned to APs must have predictable outcomes and involve stable clients.
2
Evaluate each task to determine if it requires nursing judgment.
Hygiene and ambulation are routine tasks. Assessment, medication administration, and client education all require specialized nursing knowledge.
Only tasks that do not involve the nursing process (assessment, planning, evaluation) can be delegated to unlicensed staff.

Key Concept

Delegation to Assistive Personnel
Estimated Time:45s
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