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Difficulty: EasyAssignment, Delegation and Supervision

A registered nurse is working with an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) on a medical-surgical unit. The nurse is planning care for a stable client recovering from bacterial pneumonia. Which of the following tasks can the nurse safely delegate to the UAP? Select all that apply.

  1. Emptying the urinary catheter drainage bag and documenting the output volumeAnswer
  2. B
    Determining if the client's respiratory status improved after a nebulizer treatment
  3. Transferring the client from the hospital bed to a bedside chair for lunchAnswer
  4. D
    Showing the client the correct technique for using a newly prescribed incentive spirometer
  5. E
    Auscultating the client's posterior lung fields to check for adventitious breath sounds

Answer

The tasks that can be safely delegated include emptying the urinary catheter drainage bag and transferring the client from the bed to a bedside chair.
The UAP scope of practice includes assisting stable clients with basic activities of daily living (ADLs), hygiene, mobility (such as transfers), and collecting routine data (such as measuring urine output). Both transferring the client and documenting catheter output fit these criteria and do not require clinical judgment.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Review the scope of practice for an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP).
Identify that UAPs can perform standard, routine, and uncomplex tasks for stable clients.
Understanding scope of practice prevents unsafe delegation.
2
Evaluate the clinical scenario using the 'EAT' mnemonic (Evaluate, Assess, Teach).
Identify that the registered nurse must retain tasks involving evaluation, assessment, and teaching.
This mnemonic highlights the core clinical judgment responsibilities that cannot be delegated.
3
Analyze each provided task against delegation rules.
Select the tasks involving basic care, mobility, and routine documentation, while rejecting those involving respiratory assessment, treatment evaluation, and initial education.
Applying the rules to each option determines the correct selections.

Key Concept

Delegating to Unlicensed Assistive Personnel
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Topics

Assignment, Delegation and Supervision

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