The nurse is assigning tasks to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) on a medical-surgical unit.
Which of the following tasks is appropriate for the nurse to delegate to the UAP?
The nurse is assigning tasks to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) on a medical-surgical unit.
Which of the following tasks is appropriate for the nurse to delegate to the UAP?
A. assisting a client post-stroke with dysphagia during breakfast
[9%]
B. asking a client with a femur fracture to rate their pain on a scale of 0 to 10
[10%]
C. performing dressing changes for a postoperative client with a surgical drain
[4%]
D. assisting an ambulatory client with a chest tube to transfer from the bed to a chair
[77%]
Statistics
Subject/Lesson
Subject
Leadership & Management
Lesson
Assignment/Delegation
Client Need
Test Plan
Management of Care
Related Topic
Assignment, Delegation and Supervision
Item Type
Item Type
Analysis
Explanation
Choice D is correct. Assisting a client to transfer is within the UAP’s scope, provided the UAP has been trained to monitor tubing for kinks or disconnections and knows when to notify the nurse. There is no indication that the client is unstable or requires a higher level of care in the scenario.
Choice A is incorrect. Assisting a post-stroke client with dysphagia involves the risk of aspiration and requires a nurse to assess swallowing ability and supervise feeding until safe eating practices are well established.
Choice B is incorrect. Pain assessment is a nursing responsibility. While UAPs may report observations of client behavior, asking a client to rate their pain and determining the appropriate intervention requires nursing judgment.
Choice C is incorrect. Performing dressing changes for a surgical incision with a drain involves assessment of the wound and sterile technique, both of which exceed the UAP's scope.
Learning Objective
Determine which tasks may be safely delegated to unlicensed assistive personnel in the care of stable clients.
Related Videos
4 Key Topics
Five Rights of Delegation
15.7 Delegation
UAP Delegation
15.7 Delegation
Additional Info
✓ UAPs can assist stable clients with ADLs, including ambulation and toileting, even when devices like chest tubes are present, if the condition is stable.
✓ Dysphagia care, pain assessment, and wound care all require nursing assessment and clinical decision-making and cannot be delegated.
✓ When assigning tasks, consider both the client’s condition and the complexity and risk of the task.
