Final answer:
Option (a), The most appropriate patient for a Nursing Assistant to care for under the supervision of a Registered Nurse is a client with Alzheimer's disease, as the Assistant's role would include assisting with daily living activities rather than complex medical care.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of this question is related to appropriate delegation in a healthcare setting, specifically within nursing. The nurse is tasked with assigning care responsibilities among a team that includes a Registered Nurse (RN), a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), and a Nursing Assistant. Nursing Assistants are trained to provide basic care and assist with the activities of daily living under the direct supervision of a registered nurse. They can help with tasks such as bathing, dressing, and feeding patients, among others.
Given the scenarios provided:
- A client with Alzheimer's disease could require complex nursing interventions but also significant help with day-to-day activities, which are within the scope of practice for a Nursing Assistant.
- A client with pneumonia, cirrhosis, or thrombophlebitis might require more complex care that involves assessment, medication administration, and monitoring of specific medical conditions, which usually fall under the scope of practice of an RN or LPN.
Therefore, the client that a Nursing Assistant could appropriately care for under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse is a client with Alzheimer's disease. Tasks performed by the Nursing Assistant might focus on providing assistance with activities of daily living and ensuring patient comfort rather than administering treatments, such as providing dialysis treatments, which are beyond their scope of practice.