Ethics & Issues in Contemporary Nursing Related

Review Ethics & Issues in Contemporary Nursing related questions and content

An RN is counseled by the nurse manager regarding inappropriate delegation when the:

  • A. RN instructs the nursing assistant to greet ambulatory surgery patients and show them to their rooms.
  • B. nursing assistant informs the RN that she has not been trained to collect a sputum specimen and the RN states, "I will show you this time and you can show me the next time."
  • C. RN assigns the float LPN/LVN the task of completing a plan of care for a stable patient who was admitted for routine replacement of a feeding tube.
  • D. LPN/LVN who has demonstrated competence is asked to perform a dressing change for a patient before she is discharged home.
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C because delegating the task of completing a plan of care to a float LPN/LVN for a stable patient is inappropriate. LPNs/LVNs have a different scope of practice compared to RNs and should not be assigned tasks related to developing care plans. This task requires critical thinking skills and assessment that are within the RN's scope of practice.

A: A is incorrect because delegating the task of greeting and showing ambulatory surgery patients to their rooms is appropriate for a nursing assistant.
B: B is incorrect because delegating the task of collecting a sputum specimen, once trained, is appropriate for a nursing assistant under the supervision of an RN.
D: D is incorrect because delegating the task of performing a dressing change to a competent LPN/LVN is appropriate, as long as it falls within their scope of practice.