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    Ati W26 Med Surg Final Proctored Exam
    Select All That Apply

    The intensive care nurse is caring for a client with sepsis. Which interventions can the nurse delegate to the unlicensed assistive personnel? Select All that Apply.

    Explanation & Rationale

    Delegation requires understanding the scope of practice for unlicensed assistive personnel versus licensed nurses. Tasks involving clinical judgment, titration of medications, or invasive monitoring must be reserved for the registered nurse, while routine, non-invasive tasks can be safely delegated. Choice A rationale Central venous pressure monitoring involves an invasive line and requires clinical interpretation of waveforms and readings. This task is beyond the scope of unlicensed personnel and must be performed by a nurse to ensure accuracy and safety. Choice B rationale Oral care is a routine hygiene task that falls within the scope of practice for unlicensed assistive personnel. Regular oral care is essential for preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia and maintaining mucosal integrity in critically ill septic patients. Choice C rationale While some glucose monitoring can be delegated, hourly measurements in a septic patient typically require clinical titration of insulin or close monitoring of metabolic instability. Agency policies often restrict high-frequency or critical-care monitoring to licensed staff. Choice D rationale Titration of vasoactive medications like norepinephrine requires advanced clinical judgment and assessment of hemodynamics. This is a complex nursing intervention that can never be delegated to unlicensed staff due to the high risk of hemodynamic instability. Choice E rationale Assessing vital signs in a hemodynamically unstable septic patient involves clinical evaluation. Furthermore, measuring urine output via a catheter in an intensive care setting is often combined with assessing renal perfusion, requiring professional nursing oversight. Choice F rationale Measuring and documenting intake and output is a standard technical task delegated to unlicensed personnel. While the nurse must interpret the clinical significance of the balance, the manual collection and recording of data are appropriate delegated duties.

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