Question

A nurse is planning care for a client who has had a stroke, resulting in aphasia and dysphagia. Which of the following tasks should the nurse assign to an assistive personnel?

A) Assist the client with a partial bed bath.
B) Measure the client's blood pressure after the nurse administers an antihypertensive medication.
C) Test the client's swallowing ability by providing thickened liquids.
D) Use a communication board to ask what the client wants for lunch.
E) Irrigate the client's indwelling urinary catheter.

Answer 1

The task that should be assigned to an assistive personnel is assisting the client with a partial bed bath, as it is within their scope of practice and does not require specialized nursing knowledge or skills.

Step-by-step explanation:

A nurse planning care for a client who has had a stroke resulting in aphasia and dysphagia must carefully delegate tasks to ensure each is within the scope of practice of the assistive personnel. The task that should be assigned to an assistive personnel is:

• Assist the client with a partial bed bath.

The other tasks listed, such as measuring blood pressure after administering medication, testing swallowing ability, using a communication board to determine food choices, and irrigating a urinary catheter, require more specialized knowledge, skill, or critical decision-making abilities typically beyond the role of assistive personnel.