Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyAssignment, Delegation and Supervision

A registered nurse is planning care assignments for a shift on a medical-surgical unit. The care team includes an experienced unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). What specific task is safely within the scope of practice to delegate to the UAP?

  1. Assisting a client who is two days postoperative with ambulation in the hallwayAnswer
  2. B
    Completing the initial admission skin assessment for a client arriving from the emergency department
  3. C
    Instructing a client with newly diagnosed diabetes on the proper technique for glucose monitoring
  4. D
    Determining which of two clients experiencing shortness of breath should be assessed first by the healthcare provider

Answer

Assisting a stable, two days postoperative client with ambulation in the hallway.
The correct answer involves assisting a stable client with ambulation. This is a routine, standardized task that has a predictable outcome and does not require nursing assessment, making it perfectly suited for an unlicensed assistive personnel.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the licensure and scope of practice of the personnel receiving the delegation.
The personnel is an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP).
Delegation rules vary strictly based on whether the delegate is a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, or unlicensed assistive personnel.
2
Apply the principles of safe delegation to the listed tasks.
Tasks requiring assessment, teaching, or clinical judgment must be eliminated.
The registered nurse cannot delegate the core elements of the nursing process, often remembered by the acronym EAT (Evaluate, Assess, Teach).
3
Select the task that involves routine, standard care for a stable client.
Assisting a stable postoperative client with ambulation is identified as the only safe delegation.
This task has a predictable outcome and does not require nursing judgment or complex critical thinking.

Key Concept

Principles of Safe Delegation to Unlicensed Assistive Personnel
Rate this question

Topics

Assignment, Delegation and Supervision

More questions from this topic