Final answer:
The nurse can delegate tasks such as providing skin hygiene, assisting with oral hygiene, and assisting with turning or repositioning to family members, under the supervision of a registered nurse. Other tasks like taking vital signs and taking care of wounds are generally reserved for trained healthcare professionals.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse can delegate certain tasks to family members to involve them in the patient care process. It's important that these tasks are appropriate and within the scope and ability of the family members, under the direct supervision of a registered nurse.
- Providing skin hygiene: This is a task family members can be taught and supervised to perform. It is important for the comfort and health of the patient, and family involvement can be both reassuring and beneficial to the patient.
- Assisting with oral hygiene: Similar to skin hygiene, family members can be instructed on how to assist with oral hygiene. This is a task that can be done safely with proper guidance from nursing staff.
- Taking vital signs: Generally, this is a task for trained healthcare professionals. Family members are typically not trained in accurately recording vital signs.
- Taking care of wounds/pressure ulcers: Wound care requires specialized knowledge and sterile technique to prevent infection or other complications. This is usually not appropriate for family members to perform unless they have received specific training.
- Assisting with turning or repositioning, as deemed safe by the nurse: This is an appropriate task to delegate to family members. Properly instructed, they can help to reduce the risk of pressure ulcers and improve comfort for the patient.
Close communication with the medical team ensures that tasks delegated to family members are carried out safely and effectively. This support is vital to the patient's overall care plan.