Delegation/VS question

[Brittany_x22]

Okay, so in my studying for the NCLEX hit a bump, I'm hoping someone can help me out. I have always been taught that VS can be delegated to a UAP, well, never always, but as long as the client is stable, not immediately post-op and so forth.. while doing Kaplan question I ran across a question were I delegated VS and got it wrong.. The client was stable but Kaplan said that it was a part of the assessment and needed to be completed by the RN. I have never seen this before.. I just want to know what I should say if that situation were to come up on the NCLEX.. yes UAPs can take vitals or no leave it to the RN?

Thanks in advance!

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

That's a good question and I wondered the same thing. Probably from doing the same Kaplan question. Thankfully I didn't have a question like that come up on NCLEX. I wish NCLEX did a test review so you can see what you got wrong and what the right answers were.

[caliotter3]

I would guess that the reasoning behind this is the RN is doing the assessment and UAPs are not allowed to assess. Every day VS data may lead to an RN assessment, but do not take the place of an RN assessment. Probably not the right reasoning, but that's how I see it.

[Brittany_x22]

I would just absolutely hate to get a question like this and miss it.. I keep thinking that in every other NCLEX book as well as Nursing school I delegated VS in a stable client.. I guess Kaplan and I just are not going to agree on this one.

[Tree525]

The only thing that comes to mind when I read this is the scenario in which a client is newly admitted/transferred to "your" nursing unit. Under those circumstances, the RN, even if the patient "sounds" stable / has a generally chronic stable condition, must take the initial set of vital signs because it is considered a new patient for whom the RN is unfamiliar with and the RN is responsible for doing all initial assessments. Not sure if this is what the circumstances were for your question, but i've done tons of these types of questions and this is one of the exceptions to not allowing a UAP to take VS. Either way, I hope this helps.