Question

1. Which task is most appropriate for the clinic nurse to delegate to the ULAP?
   1. Request the ULAP to ride in the ambulance with a client being sent to the ED
   2. Ask the ULAP to escort a client in a wheelchair to the car
   3. Instruct the ULAP to how the client how to use crutches
   4. Tell the ULAP to call the pharmacy to refill a prescription

Answer 1

You probably count on unlicensed assistive personnel to help you care for your patients. As an RN or LPN, however, you're ultimately responsible for your patients, even when you've delegated some of their care to a UAP.

In general, simple, routine tasks such as making unoccupied beds, supervising patient ambulation, assisting with hygiene, and feeding meals can be delegated. But if the patient is morbidly obese, recovering from surgery, or frail, work closely with the UAP or perform the care yourself.

Delegation may depend on your patient's condition rather than the task itself. For example, you might reasonably ask a UAP to help a stable, ambulatory patient to the bathroom. But asking him to assist an unstable patient by himself wouldn't be appropriate.

In this case, a client sent to emergency department is in critiacal stage, client requiring education on crutches might be recovering from surgery and medication refilling are the roles of a RN. Hence options a, c and d are wrong.

Ambulating patient in wheel chair to car, means patient is stabilized and returning home. Hence this task can be delegated.

Option b is the correct answer.