Which nursing action included in the care of a patient after laminectomy can the nurse delegate to experienced unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?
a. Check ability to plantar and dorsiflex the foot.
b. Determine the patient's readiness to ambulate.
c. Log roll the patient from side to side every 2 hours.
d. Ask about pain control with the patient-controlled analgesia (PCA).
ANS: C
Repositioning a patient is included in the education and scope of practice of UAP, and experienced UAP will be familiar with how to maintain alignment in the postoperative patient. Evaluation of the effectiveness of pain medications, assessment of neurologic function, and evaluation of a patient's readiness to ambulate after surgery require higher level nursing education and scope of practice.
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