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Difficulty: EasyAssignment, Delegation and Supervision

A pediatric unit nurse is organizing care for a 6-year-old client who is one day postoperative following a tonsillectomy. The client's condition has remained stable throughout the night. Which specific task is most appropriate for the nurse to assign to the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?

  1. Recording the exact amount of clear liquids the client consumesAnswer
  2. B
    Inspecting the back of the client's throat for signs of fresh bleeding
  3. C
    Instructing the parents on how to properly administer postoperative pain medication
  4. D
    Determining if the client's pain level warrants an additional dose of acetaminophen

Answer

Recording the exact amount of clear liquids the client consumes
The correct answer involves measuring and documenting intake and output. This is a standard, routine task with a predictable outcome that does not require nursing judgment, making it entirely legally and clinically appropriate to delegate to a UAP when caring for a stable client.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the client's status and the personnel involved.
The client is a clinically stable 6-year-old, one day postoperative. The personnel being assigned a task is a UAP.
Delegation decisions depend heavily on the client's stability and the scope of practice of the team member.
2
Apply the core principles of delegation.
Registered nurses cannot delegate tasks that involve nursing assessment, clinical judgment, or primary teaching (often remembered by the acronym EAT: Evaluate, Assess, Teach).
These functions require a valid nursing license and specialized clinical education.
3
Evaluate each option against the scope of practice for a UAP.
Inspecting the throat is an assessment; instructing parents is teaching; determining medication needs is clinical judgment. Recording fluid intake is a routine, non-complex task.
Routine tasks with predictable outcomes are safe and legally appropriate to delegate to a UAP for a stable client.

Key Concept

Delegation to Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP)
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Topics

Assignment, Delegation and Supervision

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