The nurse is working on a medical-surgical unit that is short staffed due to a callout. The manager of the unit was unable to replace the nurse, so the extra clients were assigned to the remaining nurses

Question

The manager was able to get the help of unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) from the house pool to help on the unit. Which action by the nurses would ensure effective care for the client?
A) Delegate vital signs and a.m. care to the UAP.
B) Explain to the manager that care may be compromised if another nurse does not work the shift.
C) Tell the clients their care will be sparse.
D) Assign wound care to the UAP.

Answer 1

Answer: A

The nurses would delegate to the UAP tasks such as taking and recording vital signs, performing a.m. care, and ambulating clients to ensure that all clients receive appropriate care. UAPs are not assigned care, they are delegated tasks. The goal for the unit is to meet the needs of the clients; complaining to the manager will not accomplish this. Telling the clients their care will be sparse is inappropriate. UAPs can be very helpful because they are trained to complete tasks that the nurses would not have time to complete, thus accomplishing the goal of care for all clients on the unit. To alleviate clients' anxiety, the nurse may tell them that extra help is coming for the shift. Nurses delegate tasks directly to the UAPs rather than telling the manager what needs to be done.