Question

A nurse working on a surgery floor is assigned five patients and has a patient care technician assisting her. Which of the following shows the nurse's understanding and ability to safely delegate to the patient care tech? (Select all that apply.)

1. The nurse considers the time available to gather routine vital signs on one patient before checking on a second patient arriving from a diagnostic test.
2. Determining what is the patient care technician's current workload.
3. The nurse chooses to delegate the measurement of a stable patient's vital signs and not the assessment of the patient arriving from a diagnostic test.
4. The nurse reviews with the NAP, newly hired to the floor, her experience in measuring a blood pressure.
5. The nurse confers with another registered nurse about organizing priorities.

Answer 1

A nurse demonstrates good delegation with a patient care technician by considering time management, assessing the technician's workload, retaining complex assessments for herself, ensuring communication and verification of skills, and consulting with other nurses to manage patient care effectively.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a nurse is working with a patient care technician (also known as a Nursing Assistant or NAP), the understanding and ability to safely delegate tasks is paramount for patient safety and efficient workflow. Here are the actions that demonstrate good delegation practices:

• The nurse considers the time available for routine procedures and prioritizes patient care needs appropriately, such as gathering vital signs for a stable patient before attending a patient arriving from a diagnostic test.
• The nurse assesses the patient care technician's workload, ensuring they are not overloaded and can perform delegated tasks effectively.
• Delegation includes tasks like measuring vital signs for stable patients; the nurse retains more complex tasks, such as assessing a patient returning from a diagnostic test, which require the nurse's higher level of training and judgment.
• Communication and verification of skills with the NAP, especially if they are new to the floor, such as confirming their experience in measuring blood pressure to ensure patient safety.
• Discussing and organizing priorities with another registered nurse shows the nurse's commitment to teamwork and effective patient care management.

Through these actions, the nurse demonstrates a strategic approach to delegation, ensuring that patient care is conducted safely and efficiently under her supervision. It is critical that tasks such as review and assessment particular to patients with specific needs remain with the nursing staff, while routine procedures like taking vital signs can be delegated to trained assistants.