Final answer:
The most appropriate task a nurse can delegate to unlicensed assistive personnel is brushing the patient's hair and teeth, as it is a non-invasive, routine task that does not require professional nursing judgment.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of healthcare, a nurse is responsible for patient care and, at times, must delegate tasks to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). It is crucial to understand which tasks are appropriate for delegation. Nurses can delegate tasks that are routine, do not require nursing judgment, and have predictable outcomes. Among the options provided:
Asking the patient whether he feels rested is a task that can be performed by UAP as it involves simple communication and does not require professional judgment. However, it's important that the UAP reports this information back to the nurse.
Asking the patient if he is in pain can be initiated by UAP, but assessing and managing pain is within the scope of professional nursing practice. Therefore, UAP can convey the patient's response to the nurse for further assessment and intervention.
Brushing the patient's hair and teeth is a non-invasive, routine personal care task that can be appropriately delegated to UAP.
Discussing with the physician an order for sleep medication is a task that involves clinical judgment and should not be delegated to UAP as it falls within the scope of nursing and medical practice.
Therefore, out of the options listed, brushing the patient's hair and teeth (option 3) is the most appropriate task that can be delegated to unlicensed assistive personnel.