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Question

Difficulty: EasyAssignment, Delegation and Supervision

A nurse is providing care for a client who underwent a right total knee arthroplasty three days ago. The client is clinically stable and awaiting discharge. Which intervention should the nurse delegate to the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?

  1. Assisting the client with personal hygiene and changing the bed linens.Answer
  2. B
    Assessing the surgical incision site for any signs of redness or drainage.
  3. C
    Evaluating the client's understanding of the home exercise program.
  4. D
    Determining which PRN analgesic to administer based on the client's pain level.

Answer

Assisting the client with personal hygiene and changing the bed linens.
The correct answer involves standard, routine care for a stable client. Unlicensed assistive personnel are trained to assist with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing, grooming, and bed making. Since this client is clinically stable, delegating these routine tasks is safe, appropriate, and represents the most effective use of the healthcare team's resources.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the client's stability and specific care needs.
The client is three days post-operative, clinically stable, and awaiting discharge.
Delegation decisions depend heavily on the medical stability of the client.
2
Evaluate each potential task against the UAP scope of practice.
Hygiene and bed making are within the UAP scope. Assessment, evaluation, and clinical judgment are not.
The RN cannot delegate tasks involving the core nursing process (often remembered by the acronym EAT: Evaluation, Assessment, Teaching).
3
Select the appropriate task to delegate.
Personal hygiene and linen changes are selected as the correct intervention.
This is a routine, standard task for a stable client that does not require specialized nursing judgment.

Key Concept

Delegation to Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP)
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Assignment, Delegation and Supervision

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