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Difficulty: MediumClient Care Assignments and Collaboration

A practical nurse (PN) is coordinating care with an assistive personnel (AP) for clients recovering from orthopedic surgeries on a rehabilitation unit. Which of the following task assignments indicate that the PN is delegating appropriately? Select all that apply.

  1. Directing the AP to reapply sequential compression devices (SCDs) to a client's lower extremitiesAnswer
  2. Assigning the AP to obtain routine morning vital signs on a stable client preparing for dischargeAnswer
  3. Instructing the AP to empty and record the drainage volume from a closed-wound suction deviceAnswer
  4. D
    Asking the AP to palpate and compare bilateral pedal pulses on a client after a joint replacement
  5. E
    Requesting the AP to instruct a client on the proper technique for using an incentive spirometer
  6. F
    Delegating the AP to evaluate a client's reported pain intensity after oral medication administration

Answer

The appropriate tasks to delegate to the AP are reapplying sequential compression devices, obtaining routine vital signs on a stable client, and emptying and recording output from a closed-wound drainage device.
The correct selections represent standard, routine tasks that have predictable outcomes and do not require independent nursing judgment, making them safe and appropriate to delegate to an AP.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Review the established legal scope of practice for assistive personnel (AP).
APs are permitted to perform standard, unchanging tasks that have predictable outcomes and do not require nursing judgment.
Identifying the AP's capabilities and limitations is essential for safe and legal delegation.
2
Analyze each option to determine if it involves the nursing process (assessment, teaching, or evaluation).
Assessing pedal pulses, instructing on an incentive spirometer, and evaluating pain relief all involve elements of the nursing process.
Tasks requiring clinical reasoning or nursing judgment cannot be delegated to unlicensed personnel.
3
Select the task assignments that are routine and standard.
Reapplying SCDs, taking vital signs on a stable client, and emptying a surgical drain are identified as appropriate delegations.
These tasks involve basic care and data collection without requiring interpretation or independent clinical decision-making.

Key Concept

Delegation to Assistive Personnel requires assigning routine tasks that do not involve assessment, teaching, or evaluation.
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Topics

Client Care Assignments and Collaboration

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