Management of care
Scope of practice and delegation for the practical nurse
Who does what: the tasks an LPN/LVN performs, what goes to the RN, and what can be delegated to unlicensed assistive personnel.
8 min read·foundation·
Reviewed by a licensed nurse · 22 October 2026
The model the exam uses
State practice acts differ in the details, but the NCLEX tests a standard model. Learn that model and answer from it, even if your own state or employer does things a little differently.
In that model the RN does the initial and ongoing comprehensive assessment, develops and revises the plan of care, and evaluates the client's response. The PN collects data, contributes to the plan of care, performs treatments and gives medications within scope, and reinforces teaching that the RN has started.
Who usually does what
| Task | RN | PN | UAP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial admission assessment | Yes | No | No |
| Care plan development | Yes | Contributes | No |
| Initial client teaching | Yes | No | No |
| Reinforcing teaching | Yes | Yes | No |
| Oral and injectable medications | Yes | Yes | No |
| Vital signs on stable clients | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bathing, feeding, ambulating, I&O | Yes | Yes | Yes |
A simplified model for the exam. Always follow your state nurse practice act and facility policy.
The five rights of delegation
- 01
Right task
The task is within the delegate's scope and is routine, with a predictable outcome, for a stable client.
- 02
Right circumstance
The client is stable and the setting and resources fit the task.
- 03
Right person
The person has the training and competence for this task, and this client.
- 04
Right direction and communication
You say exactly what to do, what to report, and by when.
- 05
Right supervision and evaluation
You check back, give feedback and stay accountable for the outcome.
Assignment shortcuts
- ·Assess, teach, evaluate and anything requiring nursing judgement stays with the RN or the nurse who owns the plan.
- ·The PN can be assigned stable clients with predictable outcomes and routine, delegated treatments.
- ·Unlicensed assistive personnel get activities of daily living, ambulation, feeding without swallowing risk, hygiene, and measuring and reporting data on stable clients.
- ·When two clients are both options for the PN, the more stable one with the more predictable care goes to the PN.
Check yourself
Did it stick?
1. Which task is appropriate for the practical nurse to complete for a newly admitted client?
2. Which task is appropriate for the RN to delegate to unlicensed assistive personnel?
3. Which statement about delegation is correct?
Sources
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Educational content for exam preparation. It is not clinical guidance and does not replace your facility's policies, current professional guidelines or the advice of a qualified clinician.