Question

Difficulty: MediumAssignment, Delegation and Supervision

An oncology nurse is coordinating shift activities for a group of clients. The care team includes the nurse and an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). Which of the following tasks can the nurse safely delegate to the UAP? Select all that apply.

  1. Documenting the oral fluid intake for a client receiving continuous intravenous hydration.Answer
  2. Assisting a client with chemotherapy-induced fatigue to safely use a bedside commode.Answer
  3. C
    Assessing the oral mucosa of a client for early signs of stomatitis.
  4. D
    Reinforcing strict neutropenic precautions education with a client's visitors.
  5. E
    Measuring vital signs for a client who is actively hypotensive and experiencing acute dyspnea.
  6. Applying a non-prescription barrier ointment to a client's intact perineal skin.Answer

Answer

The tasks that can be safely delegated include documenting oral fluid intake, assisting a fatigued client to a bedside commode, and applying non-prescription barrier ointment to intact skin.
The safe delegation of tasks to an unlicensed assistive personnel is strictly limited to standard, unchanging procedures that do not require clinical judgment. Documenting oral fluid intake, assisting a stable (though fatigued) client to the commode, and applying non-prescription ointment to intact skin are all routine activities of daily living and basic hygiene interventions that meet the exact criteria for safe delegation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the clinical setting, the staff mix, and the stability of the clients.
The setting is an oncology unit, the delegatee is an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP), and the tasks involve a mix of routine care, assessments, teaching, and managing an unstable client.
Safe delegation requires evaluating the Five Rights, including ensuring the right person and the right circumstance for each specific task.
2
Evaluate each potential task against the recognized UAP scope of practice.
Tasks involving routine activities of daily living (ADLs), intake and output measurement, and basic hygiene on intact skin are firmly within the UAP scope.
UAPs can perform standard, non-invasive, repetitive tasks with predictable outcomes on stable clients.
3
Identify and exclude tasks that violate the fundamental principles of nursing delegation.
Assessing the oral mucosa, reinforcing education to visitors, and measuring vital signs for an acutely unstable client must be excluded.
The registered nurse cannot delegate clinical assessment, teaching, or the care of a hemodynamically unstable client (remember the EAT acronym: Evaluate, Assess, Teach).

Key Concept

Delegation of routine, standard care tasks to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) while retaining tasks requiring nursing judgment, assessment, and teaching.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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