Question

The RN delegates the task of taking vital signs of all the clients on the medical- surgical unit to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). Specific written and verbal instructions are given to not take a post-mastectomy client's blood pressure on the left arm. Later as the RN is making rounds, the nurse finds the blood pressure cuff on that client's left arm. Which of these statements is most accurate?

A) The RN is accountable for this situation.
B) The RN did not delegate appropriately.
C) The UAP is covered by the RN's license.
D) The UAP is responsible for following instructions.

Answer 1

Option B. The RN did not delegate appropriately and is accountable for this situation. Therefore, the RN did not delegate appropriately and is accountable for this situation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most accurate statement is D) The UAP is responsible for following instructions. When an RN delegates a task to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP), it is the UAP's responsibility to execute the task based on the provided instructions. Because specific instructions were given to avoid taking blood pressure from the client's left arm, the UAP should have adhered to these directives. While the RN is accountable for the overall delegation process, the UAP retains responsibility for their actions and for following the detailed instructions given.

The most accurate statement in this situation is B) The RN did not delegate appropriately. In healthcare, delegation is an important responsibility of registered nurses (RN). However, it is the responsibility of the RN to clearly communicate instructions and ensure that those instructions are followed. In this case, the RN specifically instructed the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) not to take the post-mastectomy client's blood pressure on the left arm, but the UAP did not follow this instruction. Therefore, the RN did not delegate appropriately and is accountable for this situation.