Delegation questions test one idea: the RN keeps anything that needs nursing judgment. Exact rules vary by state and facility, but the NCLEX follows these general guidelines.
What the RN keeps
- Initial assessments and new admissions
- Teaching, especially new teaching
- Evaluating whether care worked
- Care of unstable or changing patients
- Planning care and making clinical judgments
What the LPN/LVN can usually do
- Care for stable patients with predictable outcomes
- Give many medications, depending on state rules
- Collect data and reinforce teaching the RN already started
- Perform tasks like wound care and catheter care for stable patients
What you can delegate to assistive personnel (UAP)
- Bathing, toileting, and other daily care
- Vital signs on stable patients
- Helping stable patients walk or reposition
- Measuring intake and output
- Feeding patients who have no swallowing problems
The five rights of delegation
- Right task
- Right circumstance (the patient is stable)
- Right person (trained and allowed to do it)
- Right directions and communication
- Right supervision and evaluation
Practice question
Which task can the RN delegate to assistive personnel?
- Assess a new admission
- Teach a client to self-inject insulin
- Help a stable post-op client walk in the hall
- Check whether a pain medication worked
Show answer
C. Assessing, teaching, and evaluating stay with the RN. Helping a stable client walk is a routine task.
Practice this in Everyday RN
Work a full shift and decide what to hand off to your team.
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Quick answers
What can an RN not delegate?
Assessment, teaching, evaluation, care of unstable patients, and anything that requires nursing judgment.
What are the five rights of delegation?
Right task, right circumstance, right person, right directions and communication, and right supervision and evaluation.
Evidence & Clinical Sources
Reviewed against current guidelines and drug labels. Always follow your program, a current drug reference, and facility policy. Our sources policy
For learning only. Lab ranges and policies vary. Always follow your nursing program, a current drug reference, and your facility's policies.