Final answer:
The nurse could appropriately assign the task of range-of-motion exercises to lower limbs to a nursing assistant, as it is within their scope of practice. Other tasks listed, like sterile dressing changes, postoperative teaching, and witnessing operative consent, require more advanced skills and clinical judgment and are typically the responsibility of a registered nurse or higher-level provider.
Step-by-step explanation:
In assigning tasks to the nursing assistant, the nurse could appropriately select range-of-motion exercises to lower limbs. Nursing assistants typically have the training and skill set to help patients with physical mobility tasks such as range-of-motion exercises. This task is within their scope of practice and ensures that the registered nurse's time is used efficiently for tasks that require their higher level of expertise.
On the other hand, tasks such as sterile dressing change on a leg wound, postoperative teaching to a post-hysterectomy patient, and witnessing of the signature on an operative permit, usually require the clinical judgment and advanced skills of a registered nurse or higher-level provider. Special care like sterile technique and patient education goes beyond the responsibilities of a nursing assistant and involves critical assessment and decision-making skills that are part of the licensed nursing scope of practice.
It is essential for all healthcare professionals, including the nursing assistant, to collaborate and communicate effectively. The nurse plays a critical role in this team dynamic, particularly in the operating room environment, by ensuring that tasks such as confirmation of sterility, equipment availability, and patient review are all performed correctly and efficiently.