As instructed by the registered nurse, the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) obtained vitals on a patient. The UAP obtained and charted the following vital signs monitoring results: blood pressure 90/42 mm Hg, pulse 128 bpm, oxygen saturation 86% on room air, and temperature 38.2°C. (100.8°F). The UAP left the floor for a break after charting the results, but did not tell the nurse. Thirty minutes later the patient is found unresponsive and a code blue is initiated. Who is responsible for this patient’s deterioration of condition?

Question

As instructed by the registered nurse, the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) obtained vitals on a patient. The UAP obtained and charted the following vital signs monitoring results: blood pressure 90/42 mm Hg, pulse 128 bpm, oxygen saturation 86% on room air, and temperature 38.2&deg;C. (100.8&deg;F). The UAP left the floor for a break after charting the results, but did not tell the nurse. Thirty minutes later the patient is found unresponsive and a code blue is initiated. Who is responsible for this patient&rsquo;s deterioration of condition?

Accepted Answer

The nurse for failing to follow up on the task that was delegated. Vital signs monitoring is a nursing responsibility. Obtaining vital signs is a task that can legally be delegated to the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) but the nurse retains the responsibility and accountability for the completion and evaluation of the results, as well as any follow-up interventions. Therefore, the nurse is responsible for this patient&rsquo;s deterioration for failing to follow-up on the completion and evaluation of the vital signs. Although the unlicensed assistive personnel should have recognized these vital signs were outside normal range and alerted the nurse to the patient&rsquo;s abnormal vital signs prior to leaving the floor, it is ultimately not the UAP&rsquo;s responsibility but that of the nurse. Obtaining vital signs for a stable patient is an appropriate task to delegate to the UAP.

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