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Difficulty: EasyAssignment, Delegation and Supervision

A client with chronic heart failure requires assistance with morning care while the registered nurse is administering medications to another client. Which specific task can the nurse safely delegate to the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?

  1. Recording the client's total oral fluid intake for the morning.Answer
  2. B
    Assessing the client's lower extremities for pitting edema.
  3. C
    Determining if the client needs an additional dose of PRN diuretic.
  4. D
    Explaining the rationale for a sodium-restricted diet to the client.

Answer

Recording the client's total oral fluid intake for the morning.
Recording oral fluid intake is a routine, standardized task that does not require nursing judgment, making it safe and appropriate to delegate to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the role and scope of practice of the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP).
UAPs can perform routine, standard, and unchanging tasks that do not require nursing judgment.
Understanding the limits of an unlicensed role is essential for safe delegation.
2
Evaluate each option against the established guidelines for delegation (avoiding tasks that require assessment, clinical judgment, or teaching).
Assessing edema, making clinical decisions about PRN medications, and teaching diet rationale all require nursing judgment.
The registered nurse retains responsibility for the nursing process, which cannot be transferred to a UAP.
3
Select the task that falls safely within the UAP's capabilities.
Recording oral fluid intake is the only appropriate task among the choices.
It involves collecting basic data without the need for clinical interpretation.

Key Concept

Delegation to Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP)
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Topics

Assignment, Delegation and Supervision

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