The bedside nurse delegates vital signs checks to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) every four hours. Prior to the 1200 vital sign check, the UAP has a family emergency and leaves the unit without informing the nurse. As a result, the 1200 vitals are not completed. Who is responsible for this lapse in care?

Bedside nurse. The charge nurse assigned the patients to the bedside nurse, which transfers responsibility of patient care to that nurse. When the nurse delegated the scheduled vitals checks to the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP), the bedside nurse retained the responsibility for the completion of the task. Although the UAP will undoubtedly face ramifications for leaving in the middle of the shift, the bedside nurse is ultimately responsible for the lapse in care. The nurse manager is not responsible for the lapse in care.

The bedside nurse delegates vital signs checks to an unlicensed a...

Category: Management of Care
Difficulty: 3

Topics: Delegation, Prioritization and Leadership

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