Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 80%
Simulated
Which action included in the care of a patient after laminectomy can the nurse delegate to experienced unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?
Correct answer
B
Rationale
Checking plantar and dorsiflexion assesses neurological status requiring nursing expertise and cannot be delegated to UAP. Log rolling every 2 hours maintains spinal alignment post-laminectomy, a straightforward, standardized task suitable for experienced UAP. PCA assessment involves evaluating pain control methods, which require critical nursing judgments and is not appropriate to delegate. Determining readiness to ambulate involves comprehensive assessment skills, evaluating multiple factors like pain, strength, and hemodynamic stability, beyond UAP's scope of practice.