Scope of Practice & Delegation Rules
Clear legal boundaries: What the RN must NEVER delegate (TAPE: Teaching, Assessment, Planning, Evaluating), and appropriate tasks for LPNs and UAPs.
High-Yield Clinical Takeaways & NCLEX Priorities
- Do NOT delegate TAPE: Teaching, initial Assessment, Planning of care, or Evaluation of outcomes.
- LPN/LVN Scope: Stable clients with predictable outcomes, routine medication administration (excluding IV push in most jurisdictions), sterile dressing changes, monitoring ongoing findings.
- UAP Scope: Routine ADLs, vital signs on stable patients, intake & output, ambulation, basic hygiene and comfort care.
- Triage Rule: The patient who is unstable, experiencing an acute change in status, or receiving a new medication/blood product must always be assigned to the RN.
1. The 5 Rights of Delegation
The 5 Rights: Right Task, Right Circumstance, Right Person, Right Direction/Communication, and Right Supervision/Evaluation. The RN retains ultimate legal accountability for the clinical outcome when delegating nursing tasks.
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