Author Question: A nurse with a large caseload of patients needs to delegate some assessment tasks to other members ... (Read 32 times)

joblessjake · **on:** Jul 23, 2018

A nurse with a large caseload of patients needs to delegate some assessment tasks to other members of the health team.

The nurse is unsure which tasks can be delegated to nursing assistive personnel (NAP) and which are appropriate for a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or a registered nurse (RN). To which sources should the nurse turn find out to whom to delegate which tasks? Select all that apply.
a. Nurse practice act of his state
b. American Medical Association guidelines
c. Code of Ethics for Nurses
d. ANA Scope and Standards of Practice

Question 2

A 30-year-old male patient who has been experiencing joint pain for several months is diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. He tells the nurse, This can't be happening to me. I don't understand this.

Which statement below best describes the nurse's primary understanding of the patient statements?
a. The patient is too young to cope with this diagnosis.
b. The patient is in the illness stage of denial.
c. Developmental stage influences a person's ability to cope with stressors.
d. The patient will not be able to accept his ongoing illness.

todom5090 · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 23, 2018

Answer to Question 1

A, D
State nurse practice acts specify which portions of the assessment can legally be completed by individuals with different credentials. The ANA Scope and Standards of Practice provides a guide for determining who is ultimately responsible and qualified to collect assessment data. The American Medical Association provides guidelines and standards for physicians, not nurses. The Code of Ethics for Nurses says merely that the nurse should delegate tasks appropriately; it does not speak to credentials of personnel.

Answer to Question 2

C
Developmental stage influences a person's ability to cope with stressors that tend to move him toward the illness end of the healthillness continuum. For example, infants or children who are ill, frightened, or hurt have a limited repertoire of experiences, communication ability, and understanding to help them in their responses. Age is not the determining factor in one's ability to cope, but developmental stage is. The man at age 30 may not accept his illness at this time because he is not developmentally ready but we do not know this because he has just been informed of the diagnosis. His statements do not provide enough information to infer that he is in denial or that he does not accept his illness.