Nursing Prioritization Delegation Assignment Q 31
A child with fever has been admitted to the ED for several hours. Cooling measures are ordered by the physician in order for the client’s temperature to come down. Which task would be appropriate to delegate to the nursing assistant?
A. Prepare and administer a tepid bath
B. Assist the child in removing outer garments
C. Educate the need for giving cool fluids
D. Tell the parent to use acetaminophen (Tylenol) instead of aspirin
Correct Answer: B. Assist the child in removing outer garments
The nursing assistant can assist with the elimination of outer garments, which enables the heat to dissipate from the child’s skin. The nurse who delegates aspects of care to other members of the nursing team must balance the needs of the client with the abilities of those to which the nurse is delegating tasks and aspects of care, among other things such as the scopes of practice and the policies and procedures within the particular healthcare facility.
Option A: Tepid baths are not usually given because of the potential for rebound and shivering. Registered nurses who assign, delegate and/or provide nursing care to clients and groups of clients must report all significant changes that occur in terms of the client and their condition. For example, a significant change in a client’s laboratory values requires that the registered nurse report this to the nurse’s supervisor and doctor.
Option C: Explaining is a teaching function only appropriate for a registered nurse. The staff members’ levels of education, knowledge, past experiences, skills, abilities, and competencies are also evaluated and matched with the needs of all of the patients in the group of patients that will be cared for.
Option D: Advising is a teaching function that is the responsibility of the registered nurse. Delegation should be done according to the differentiated practice for each of the staff members.