Final answer:
The nursing assistive personnel should notify the nurse if a patient's IV site is painful or swollen as it could indicate an issue such as infection and is within their role to monitor and report changes in the patient's condition.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse might instruct nursing assistive personnel regarding the care of a patient with an intravenous (IV) site dressing to "Be sure to notify me if the patient reports that the IV site is painful or swollen." This instruction is essential because it is within the scope of the nursing assistive personnel to report changes in patient's condition, but not to assess or diagnose issues like signs of inflammation which is the nurse's responsibility.
It is vital for nursing assistive personnel to ensure that the IV dressing remains intact and to alert the nurse of any changes such as pain or swelling which could indicate complications such as an infection or phlebitis. Keeping the insertion site visible through the dressing allows for easier monitoring, and replacing a damp dressing with a fresh one might be important, but is typically not within the NAP's scope of practice without specific instruction from the nurse.