Question

A 25 year-old client, unresponsive after a motor vehicle accident, is being transferred from the hospital to a long term care facility. To which o staff members should the charge nurse assign the client?

A) Unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)
B) Senior nursing student
C) PN
D) RN

Answer 1

The charge nurse should assign the unresponsive patient to a Registered Nurse (RN) because they have the necessary training and expertise to manage complex medical needs during the transfer to a long-term care facility.

Step-by-step explanation:

The charge nurse should assign the 25 year-old client, who is unresponsive after a motor vehicle accident and being transferred to a long-term care facility, to a Registered Nurse (RN). It is critical for the patient who has experienced significant trauma and is unresponsive to receive care from a professional with the proper training and expertise to manage their complex medical needs.

Unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) and senior nursing students, despite their ability to assist in care, do not have the licensure or scope of practice to independently manage a patient in such a fragile condition. Likewise, a Licensed Practical Nurse (PN) can provide fundamental nursing care but may lack the in-depth training and scope of practice that an RN has when it comes to complex and critical care patients such as those in an intensive care or post-trauma scenario.

Considering that this patient is coming from an intensive setting and potentially going into a specialized long-term care setting, they may require ongoing assessment, critical thinking, and complex decision-making that is within the RN's scope of practice.