Which instruction can be delegated to the registered nurse to provide effective care to a client with a respiratory disorder?

Which instruction can be delegated to the registered nurse to provide effective care to a client with a respiratory disorder?

• A. Feed the client three times a day.
• B. Change the client's clothes every 6 hours.
• C. Assess the client's respirations after 1 hour.
• D. Provide intravenous medication every 3 hours.

Answer: (C)

Focusing on who should handle monitoring and assessments in respiratory care helps you see why this task fits an RN. When a client has a respiratory disorder, regular assessment of breathing status—watching rate, rhythm, depth, and effort—is critical for spotting early signs of deterioration and deciding if interventions are needed. Repeatedly checking respirations after a set interval provides essential data that guide the care plan and ensure timely responses. This kind of evaluation requires nursing judgment and clinical vigilance, which is within the registered nurse’s scope. In contrast, feeding and changing clothes are basic activities of daily living that unlicensed staff can handle after proper orientation, and administering intravenous medications is a medication-management task that typically requires licensed personnel with specific competencies. So the respirations assessment after 1 hour is the task that aligns with the RN’s role in ensuring safe and effective care for a respiratory patient.

Focusing on who should handle monitoring and assessments in respiratory care helps you see why this task fits an RN. When a client has a respiratory disorder, regular assessment of breathing status—watching rate, rhythm, depth, and effort—is critical for spotting early signs of deterioration and deciding if interventions are needed. Repeatedly checking respirations after a set interval provides essential data that guide the care plan and ensure timely responses. This kind of evaluation requires nursing judgment and clinical vigilance, which is within the registered nurse’s scope.

In contrast, feeding and changing clothes are basic activities of daily living that unlicensed staff can handle after proper orientation, and administering intravenous medications is a medication-management task that typically requires licensed personnel with specific competencies. So the respirations assessment after 1 hour is the task that aligns with the RN’s role in ensuring safe and effective care for a respiratory patient.