ANSWER
Applying the Nurse Practice Act to Delegation Decisions
The Florida Nurse Practice Act and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s decision-making framework are used to determine which tasks should be assigned to a Nursing Assistive Personnel (UAP) or a Licensed Practical Nurse/Licensed Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN). The Act places a strong emphasis on protecting patient safety, evaluating the delegatee’s level of expertise, and figuring out whether the task falls within the delegatee’s area of expertise.
Activities That Are Good for Delegation
Simple three-day post-hip replacement wet-to-dry dressing change for a patient
Assign to LPN/LVN: This work calls for technical proficiency suitable for an LPN/LVN working under supervision as well as fundamental nursing knowledge.
A patient wearing soft wrist restraints should be checked every two hours to evaluate comfort, mobility, and circulation.
Assign to UAP: UAPs are capable of carrying out routine restraint monitoring. Any anomalies, though, ought to be brought to the attention of the registered nurse for additional evaluation.
Cooling techniques for a patient with a 104°F fever
Assign to UAP: A UAP can be assigned non-invasive duties like giving tepid baths or putting on cooling blankets.
completing shift intake/output totals, clearing IV pumps, and calculating intravenous (IV) credits
Assign to an LPN or LLVN: IV management and calculating tasks call for an LPN or LLVN who is qualified and operating within their scope of practice.
Finishing phlebotomy for the daily blood draw
Assign to LPN/LVN: An LPN/LVN with venipuncture training is qualified to perform phlebotomy.
applying pressure to a recently removed femoral line’s insertion location
Retain by RN: Because of the possibility of bleeding or other problems, this is a high-risk task that demands for sophisticated monitoring and assessment.
Teaching the patient the elements of a soft diet
Maintain by RN: Patient education is outside the purview of UAP or LPN/LVN and necessitates clinical discretion, particularly when it comes to dietary modifications.
Testing for occult blood in guaiac stool
Assign to LPN/LVN: This work is appropriate for an LPN/LVN and calls for technical expertise.
Conducting electrocardiograms
Assign to LPN/LVN: EKG testing is within the scope of LPN/LVN training and expertise.
Carefully feeding a patient who has a high risk of choking after a cerebrovascular accident
Retain by RN: Giving patients food while taking swallowing precautions is extremely dangerous and calls for a trained healthcare professional.
Suctioning through the mouth
Assign to LPN/LVN: An LPN/LVN with airway management training can be safely assigned this responsibility.
Care for tracheostomies
Assign to LPN/LVN: Under supervision, LPNs/LVNs who have received the necessary training can do normal tracheostomy care.
Ostomy care
Assign to UAP or LPN/LVN: Trained UAPs are capable of handling routine ostomy care, while LPN/LVNs may be needed for more complicated situations.
Citations
Board of Nursing in Florida, n.d. The Nurse Practice Act.
State Boards of Nursing National Council (2021). foundation for delegating decision-making.
2019 saw the American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association publication manual (7th ed.).
The formatting and spacing of this one-page paper adhere to APA guidelines. If you require any other changes, please let me know!
QUESTION
Deciding Delegation Using the Nurse Practice Act
Which of the following tasks would you be willing to delegate to a nursing assistive personnel or licensed practical nurse/licensed vocational nurse? Use your state’s Nurse Practice Act or a decision tree created by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing or a State Board of Nursing as a reference for this case.
1. Uncomplicated wet-to-dry dressing change on a patient 3 days post-hip replacement 2. Every 2 hours checks on a patient with soft wrist restraints to assess circulation, movement, and comfort 3. Cooling measures for a patient with a temperature of 104°F 4. Calculation of intravenous (IV) credits, clearing IV pumps, and completing shift intake/output totals 5. Completing phlebotomy for daily drawing of blood 6. Holding pressure on the insertion site of a femoral line that has just been removed 7. Educating a patient about components of a soft diet 8. Conducting guaiac stool tests for occult blood 9. Performing electrocardiographic testing 10. Feeding a patient with swallowing precautions (high risk of choking post-cardiovascular accident [CVA]) 11. Oral suctioning 12. Tracheostomy care 13. Ostomy care
Instructions:
1. By utilizing the Florida State Board of Nursing standards decide which of the following tasks could be delegated to an UAP or a LPN/LVN
2. Your paper should be:
· One (1) page
· Typed according to APA Writing StyleLinks to an external site. for margins, formatting and spacing standards.