The nurse is precepting a student in the emergency department. Which action by the student requires further teaching?

• A. Delegating wound care to the LPN for a client who suffered a motor vehicle accident.
• B. Administering an antibiotic as ordered.
• C. Performing a sterile dressing change with supervision.
• D. Documenting vitals accurately.

Answer: (A)

Understanding delegation and scope of practice is essential in fast-paced settings like the emergency department. In nursing, the person with overall responsibility for a patient’s plan of care is the registered nurse, who may delegate certain tasks to other team members within that team (such as licensed practical nurses or assistants) as appropriate by policy and state rules. A nursing student, however, does not have the authority to delegate tasks to others. They carry out tasks under supervision and according to the instructions of the supervising nurse.

Delegating wound care to an LPN by a student is therefore inappropriate. The student should not assign or direct another team member to perform care; instead, the supervising nurse coordinates who handles wound care and ensures it’s done correctly. The student can participate in wound care under supervision, learn the procedure, and communicate needs to the RN, but they do not delegate to the LPN themselves.

The other actions fit within the expected role under supervision: administering an antibiotic as ordered, performing a sterile dressing change with supervision, and documenting vitals accurately are all tasks a student can do as part of learning and patient care, provided they are under appropriate supervision and follow the facility’s protocols.

So the action that requires further teaching is the student delegating wound care to an LPN.