Nursing Prioritization Delegation Assignment Q 88
The charge nurse is making assignments for the next shift. Which patient should be assigned to the fairly new nurse (6 months experience) pulled from the surgical unit to the medical unit?
A. A 58-year old on airborne precautions for tuberculosis (TB).
B. A 68-year old just returned from bronchoscopy and biopsy.
C. A 72-year old who needs teaching about the use of incentive spirometry.
D. A 69-year old with COPD who is ventilator dependent.
Correct Answer: C. A 72-year old who needs teaching about the use of incentive spirometry
Many surgical patients are taught about coughing, deep breathing, and the use of incentive spirometry preoperatively. The needs of the client must be competently met with the knowledge, skills and abilities of the staff to meet these needs. In other words, 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.
Option A: To care for the patient with TB in isolation, the nurse must be fitted for a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) respirator mask. All healthcare facilities and agencies must assess and validate competency before total care or any aspect of care is performed by an individual without the direct supervision of another, regardless of their years of experience.
Option B: The bronchoscopy patient needs a specialized procedure. 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: The ventilator-dependent patient needs a nurse who is familiar with ventilator care. Some patients require high levels of professional judgment and skill; and other patient needs are somewhat routine and without the need for high levels of professional judgment and skill.