A nurse is planning care for clients.
Which of the following tasks can the nurse delegate to an assistive personnel (AP)?
A.
Providing tracheostomy care for a client.
B.
Assessing a client who just returned from surgery.
C.
Teaching a client who is preoperative how to use an incentive spirometer.
D.
Obtaining a blood pressure for a client who is to be discharged later in the day.
The Correct answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answer: D. Obtaining a blood pressure for a client who is to be discharged later in the day.
Explanation:
Delegation in nursing involves assigning specific tasks to appropriate healthcare personnel while retaining responsibility for the overall care of the client. Registered Nurses (RNs) must adhere to the principles of delegation, which include assigning tasks that match the competence and scope of practice of the assistive personnel (AP).
Obtaining a blood pressure for a client who is to be discharged later in the day is an appropriate task for an AP. This task is routine, non-invasive, and does not require nursing judgment, making it well within the scope of practice for an AP. Blood pressure measurement is a basic skill that APs are trained to perform, and it does not involve any interpretation of the results or clinical decision-making. Therefore, delegating this task to an AP allows the RN to focus on more complex and critical aspects of patient care.
Option A: Providing tracheostomy care for a client requires a higher level of skill and knowledge. Tracheostomy care involves cleaning the tracheostomy site, suctioning secretions, and ensuring that the airway is clear, which are tasks that require nursing judgment and a thorough understanding of respiratory care. This task is not appropriate for delegation to an AP.
Option B: Assessing a client who just returned from surgery is a critical task that must be performed by an RN. Postoperative assessment involves evaluating vital signs, level of consciousness, pain levels, and surgical site integrity. These assessments require clinical judgment and the ability to recognize signs of complications, which falls within the RN’s scope of practice, not that of an AP.
Option C: Teaching a client who is preoperative how to use an incentive spirometer is also a task that must be carried out by an RN. Teaching requires understanding the client’s learning needs, explaining the purpose and procedure, and evaluating the client’s comprehension, all of which involve nursing knowledge and judgment. APs do not have the necessary training or authority to conduct client education.
In summary, the task of obtaining a blood pressure (Option D) is routine and does not require clinical judgment, making it appropriate for delegation to an AP. The other tasks listed involve a higher level of nursing expertise and are not suitable for delegation to an AP.