A registered nurse (RN) is supervising an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) on a medical-surgical unit. The RN observes the UAP preparing to feed a client who has a history of dysphagia, but the client's bed is completely flat. Arrange the RN's actions in the priority order they should be performed, from first to last.
- 1Intervene immediately and instruct the UAP to halt the feeding process.
- 2Assist the UAP with elevating the head of the client's bed to at least .
- 3Discuss the rationale for aspiration precautions with the UAP in a private area.
- 4Document the incident and notify the unit manager to determine if formal retraining is necessary.
Answer
The correct sequence is to first intervene to stop the feeding, then elevate the head of the bed, followed by educating the UAP in private, and finally documenting and reporting the incident.
According to the principles of safe delegation and supervision, the RN's primary responsibility is client safety. When an unsafe practice is observed, the RN must immediately intervene to stop the action, thereby preventing aspiration. Once the immediate threat is halted, the RN corrects the situation by elevating the bed. After the client is safe, the RN fulfills their supervisory role by educating the UAP on the rationale in a private setting. Finally, the RN documents the incident and reports it to management for ongoing performance evaluation and potential retraining.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Assignment, Delegation and Supervision