1.1 RN vs LPN vs UAP Delegation & Assignment Principles

🎯 Key NCLEX-RN® Clinical Takeaways

• Remember the acronym EAT: The RN CANNOT delegate Evaluation, Assessment, or initial Teaching.
• UAPs are assigned routine, non-invasive ADLs (bathing, feeding non-dysphagic, routine vitals) on stable clients.
• LPNs care for stable clients with predictable outcomes, sterile wound dressings, and routine medication administration.
• The 'first' of any clinical intervention (first post-op ambulation, initial assessment, first dose of IV med) belongs to the RN.

Delegation is a core competency tested on the NCLEX-RN. The registered nurse transfers the responsibility of performing a specific nursing activity to a qualified individual while retaining ultimate accountability for the outcome.

Delegation decisions hinge on client stability, complexity of activity, and predictability of clinical response. The 5 Rights of Delegation: Right Task, Right Circumstance, Right Person, Right Direction/Communication, and Right Supervision/Evaluation.

Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP) perform non-invasive, routine tasks on stable clients. LPNs perform skilled routine interventions for stable clients under RN supervision. Any task requiring nursing judgment, clinical evaluation, or assessment is non-delegable.

⚠️ Common Pearson VUE / NCLEX Traps

• Delegating initial post-operative ambulation to UAP; the RN must assess for orthostatic hypotension and balance first.
• Allowing LPNs to perform initial admission assessments or formulate the primary nursing care plan.