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Difficulty: MediumClient Care Assignments and Collaboration

A licensed practical nurse (LPN) and a registered nurse (RN) are co-assigned to care for a group of clients on an oncology unit. The RN requests the LPN to complete several tasks while the RN admits a new client. Which of the following tasks are appropriate for the LPN to accept? Select all that apply.

  1. Administering an oral antiemetic to a client with anticipated, mild nausea following chemotherapyAnswer
  2. B
    Performing an initial assessment on a client who just developed sudden, sharp chest pain
  3. Emptying and recording the output of a surgical wound drain for a client who is two days postoperativeAnswer
  4. D
    Explaining the procedural risks and benefits of an upcoming central line placement to the client
  5. Reinforcing previously taught infection control strategies with a client experiencing neutropeniaAnswer
  6. F
    Administering an intravenous (IV) push dose of an opioid analgesic for a client reporting severe pain

Answer

The LPN should accept the tasks of administering an oral antiemetic, emptying the surgical wound drain, and reinforcing infection control education.
The correct tasks involve care for stable clients with predictable outcomes. Administering routine oral medications, collecting data such as surgical drain output, and reinforcing teaching that was initially performed by an RN are all standard procedures well within the legal and educational scope of the LPN.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the client conditions and the nature of each delegated task.
Determine whether each task involves stable clients with predictable outcomes or unstable clients requiring complex evaluation.
The LPN scope of practice is legally limited to caring for clients with stable, predictable conditions using established protocols.
2
Evaluate the clinical skills required for each option against the LPN scope of practice.
Identify that assessing sudden chest pain, explaining procedural risks, and administering IV push medications exceed the LPN's legal and educational scope.
LPNs perform focused data collection rather than comprehensive initial assessments; providers must explain procedure risks; and IV push medications require continuous RN-level evaluation.
3
Select the tasks that are safe and legally appropriate for the LPN to accept.
The tasks involving oral medication administration, routine drain care, and reinforcement of education are selected as the correct answers.
These tasks utilize standard nursing procedures for stable clients and do not require the advanced clinical judgment of an RN.

Key Concept

LPN Scope of Practice and Safe Task Acceptance
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Topics

Client Care Assignments and Collaboration

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