A nurse is assisting in the care of a group of clients on a medical-surgical unit. Which of the following tasks should the nurse delegate to an assistive personnel?

A. Removing packed gauze from a client's surgical dressing: This is a sterile procedure that requires assessment of the wound, monitoring for infection, and clinical judgment. Only licensed nurses should perform this task to ensure safety and proper wound management. B. Reinforcing the use of an incentive spirometer to a client: Teaching or reinforcing the use of medical devices requires understanding of technique, respiratory assessment, and the ability to correct improper use. This responsibility is within the licensed nurse’s scope of practice. C. Determining the need for thickening agents while feeding a client: Assessing swallowing ability and determining the need for dietary modifications involves clinical judgment and knowledge of dysphagia management. Only a nurse or speech-language pathologist should perform this assessment. D. Repositioning a client who has a pressure injury: Repositioning to prevent further pressure injury is within the scope of an assistive personnel. It involves following the nurse’s plan of care, using proper body mechanics, and implementing delegated interventions without requiring independent clinical judgment.