Question

A patient with sleep apnea has a nursing diagnosis of Sleep Deprivation related to disrupted sleep cycle. Which action should you delegate to the nursing assistant (PCT)?

a) Discuss weight-loss strategies such as diet and exercise with the patient

b) Teach the patient how to set up the BiPAP machine before sleeping

c) Remind the patient to sleep on his side instead of his back

d) Administer modafinil (Provigil) to promote daytime wakefulness

Answer 1

For a patient with sleep apnea and sleep deprivation, a nursing assistant can be delegated to remind the patient to sleep on their side, a non-invasive intervention within their scope of practice. Other tasks like discussing weight loss strategies, setting up sleep equipment, or administering medication are outside a PCT's scope.

Step-by-step explanation:

The appropriate action to delegate to a nursing assistant (PCT) for a patient with a nursing diagnosis of Sleep Deprivation related to disrupted sleep cycle would be option (c) Remind the patient to sleep on his side instead of his back. It is within the scope of practice for a nursing assistant to provide such reminders about sleep positions, which is a non-invasive intervention to help reduce episodes of sleep apnea.

The other options, such as discussing weight loss strategies, teaching how to set up a BiPAP machine, and administering medication, would not be within a PCT's scope of responsibility and should be performed by a registered nurse or other licensed healthcare professional.