Final answer:
A nursing assistant can perform tasks like taking and reporting patient's vital signs, assisting with patient hygiene, and equipment preparation. Tasks that require assessment, critical decision-making, or confirmation of sterility should be performed by a registered nurse or healthcare professional.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a nurse receives reports at the beginning of a shift, some care activities can indeed be delegated to a nursing assistant. Tasks that a nursing assistant could typically perform include taking and reporting a patient's vital signs and assisting with patient hygiene and comfort. They can also help with equipment preparation to ensure that procedures can be carried out accurately and sterily. It is important for the nurse to confirm that delegated tasks are within the nursing assistant's scope of practice and that the assistant is competent to perform them. However, tasks requiring complex decision-making or assessment, such as confirming the sterility of equipment or reviewing critical and unexpected steps in a patient's care, should be performed by a nurse or another appropriate healthcare professional.
During a surgical procedure, for example, the nursing assistant might be asked to help prepare solutions and equipment or assist in counting sponges and instruments to ensure nothing is left inside the patient after surgery. Tasks such as reviewing a patient's history, assessing patient needs, and monitoring dialysis treatments would not typically be delegated to a nursing assistant, as they require the expertise and direct supervision of a registered nurse or another healthcare professional.