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Difficulty: EasyAssignment, Delegation and Supervision

The registered nurse is planning care for a client with chronic heart failure who is stable and scheduled for discharge in the morning. Which tasks are appropriate to delegate to the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)? (Select all that apply.)

  1. A
    Assisting the client with selecting low-sodium options from the daily menu
  2. Obtaining the client's daily morning weight using a standing scaleAnswer
  3. Recording the amount of oral fluid the client consumes during breakfastAnswer
  4. D
    Assessing the client's lower extremities for pitting edema
  5. Ambulating the client to the bathroomAnswer
  6. F
    Administering the client's scheduled morning dose of oral furosemide

Answer

The correct tasks to delegate are obtaining the morning weight, recording oral fluid intake, and ambulating the client to the bathroom.
Unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) can safely perform routine, standardized tasks for stable clients that do not require clinical judgment. Obtaining daily weights, measuring intake and output, and assisting with ambulation are predictable tasks with minimal potential for harm, making them perfectly appropriate for delegation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Evaluate the client's stability and needs.
The client is stable and preparing for discharge, making routine care delegation safe.
Delegation is only appropriate for clients who are clinically stable and have predictable outcomes.
2
Analyze each task against the scope of practice for unlicensed assistive personnel.
Tasks involving assessment (edema), teaching/evaluation (diet selection), and medication administration must be excluded.
The RN cannot delegate tasks requiring nursing judgment, assessment, teaching, or evaluation (often remembered by the acronym EAT).
3
Select the routine, standard tasks that require no clinical judgment.
Weighing the client, documenting intake, and assisting with ambulation are selected.
These are standard, unchanging procedures that fall firmly within the UAP's scope of practice.

Key Concept

Delegation to Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP)
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Topics

Assignment, Delegation and Supervision

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