The nurse is aware that their hospital has a policy that allows nursing aides to remove intravenous lines while on the surgical unit. The nurse delegates this task to the aide and the intravenous catheter is removed incorrectly. Who is responsible for this mistake?
A)The hospital, because the policy allowed the procedure.
B)The nurse, because they supervised the procedure.
C)The aide, because they performed the procedure.
D)Both B and C

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In this situation, the nurse is responsible for the aide's actions, because they supervised the procedure. Tasks delegated to unlicensed personnel are ultimately the responsibility of the nurse. Although the hospital may have a policy allowing unlicensed personnel to perform certain tasks, this cannot override the state's nurse practice act.

The Nurse Is Aware That Their Hospital Has a Policy