Nail and foot care are essential in meeting the basic hygiene needs of clients. Important assessments by the nurse in this area include:

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is to assess the nail beds and the tissue surrounding the nails. This assessment is crucial to identify abnormal discoloration, lesions, paronychia, dryness, breaks in the skin, pressure areas, or any other unusual appearances. Choice A is incorrect as a full-body assessment is broader and not specific to nail and foot care. Choice B is incorrect as lab work is not directly related to nail and foot assessments. Choice D is incorrect as it focuses only on foot corns and calluses, neglecting other important aspects of nail and foot care.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: When delegating tasks, a nurse must consider the staff member's education and competency level. Noninvasive tasks like helping a client ambulate with a walker are usually suitable for nursing assistants. Suctioning a client and colostomy irrigation are invasive procedures that require a licensed nurse's skills. Assessing a client post-arteriogram for any complications or changes in condition also necessitates the expertise of a licensed nurse. Therefore, the most appropriate task to assign to a nursing assistant is assisting a client who needs frequent ambulation with a walker.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: When a nurse assigns tasks for a client's care to another staff member, the nurse is responsible for appropriately assigning tasks based on the educational level and competency of the staff member. In this scenario, the LPN should be assigned the task of monitoring a client receiving oxygen who requires frequent pulse oximetry monitoring and respiratory treatments. This is because the LPN is competent to perform these tasks and can accurately note changes in the client's condition. Tasks such as feeding a client, turning and repositioning a client, and assisting with hygiene measures, which are noninvasive interventions, can be assigned to a nursing assistant. These tasks do not require the same level of assessment and monitoring as the respiratory treatments and pulse oximetry monitoring.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is the client scheduled for hemodialysis at 10 a.m. This client needs immediate assessment before the procedure, which may take up to 5 hours. The nurse should ensure the client is physically and emotionally prepared, check for fluid overload by assessing weight and lung sounds, review vital signs, and laboratory test results. The other clients described in the options have needs that are not as urgent. The client scheduled for a nuclear scanning procedure at 10 a.m. may require information reinforcement and increased fluid intake before the procedure. The client scheduled for hydrotherapy for the treatment of a burn injury at 10:30 a.m. may need pain medication administered 30 minutes prior to the therapy. The client scheduled for a contrast CT at noon may need procedure information reinforcement and a special contrast preparation just before the procedure.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The nurse's primary responsibility after assigning tasks is to follow up with each staff member regarding the task's performance and outcomes. This ensures accountability and quality care delivery. Allowing staff members to make judgments independently can compromise patient safety if they lack the necessary knowledge or experience. While documenting task completion is important, it should follow the follow-up to assess outcomes. Assigning incomplete tasks to the next shift is not ideal as it may result in unmet patient needs and increased workload for the next shift.