The nurse has received a client from the emergency room with a fractured right hip. Which task should the nurse assign to the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)? A. Obtain personal care items and place at bedside B. Assess the skin for any signs of breakdown C. Administer meperidine (Demerol) \(75 \mathrm{mg}\) IM D. Apply Buck's traction \(5 \\#\) to right leg

Recall that unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) are individuals who are not licensed as nurses, but still provide basic nursing care under the supervision of a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse. Their scope of practice usually includes tasks such as bathing, feeding, and turning patients, as well as measuring and documenting vital signs.

Let's look at each task and determine if it would be appropriate for a UAP to perform: A. Obtain personal care items and place at bedside B. Assess the skin for any signs of breakdown C. Administer meperidine (Demerol) \(75 \mathrm{mg}\) IM (intramuscular injection) D. Apply Buck's traction \(5 \\#\) to right leg

A. Obtaining personal care items and placing them at bedside falls within the role of a UAP, as it involves providing a comfortable environment for the patient. B. Assessing the skin for signs of breakdown would likely be outside the scope of practice for a UAP, as this task requires clinical judgment and the ability to identify skin issues. C. Administering medication, especially through an intramuscular injection, is not within the scope of practice for a UAP. This task must be performed by a licensed nurse or another healthcare professional who is authorized to administer medications. D. Applying Buck's traction to the patient's leg would likely be outside the scope of practice for a UAP, as it involves the use of medical equipment and the monitoring of the patient's condition. This task should be performed by a licensed nurse or another healthcare professional who has been trained to apply and monitor the traction.

Based on the evaluation in Step 3, we can determine that the most appropriate task for the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) would be: A. Obtain personal care items and place at bedside. This task is within the scope of practice for a UAP and does not require advanced nursing knowledge, skills, or abilities. Therefore, the correct answer is A.