# The registered nurse is assigning care to a licensed practical or vocational nurse. Which task is most appropriate to assign?

> source: MyMerci (mymerci.kr)  
> url: https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=397308&lang=en  
> language: en  
> subject: Assignment/Delegation/Supervision  
> category: MOC

## Question

The registered nurse is assigning care to a licensed practical or vocational nurse. Which task is most appropriate to assign?

## Option

1. Complete the initial assessment of a client reporting new chest pain
2. Give a scheduled oral antibiotic to a stable client before lunch **✔ Correct answer**
3. Create a teaching plan for a client who is starting insulin
4. Evaluate whether a newly revised plan of care has been effective

**Correct answer: 2**

## Explanation

Medication administration for a stable client is generally a predictable task that may be assigned to the licensed practical or vocational nurse within local scope and policy. Initial assessment, teaching-plan creation, and evaluation remain registered-nurse judgments.

## In-depth explanation

Quick answer
Assign the predictable medication task for the stable client, subject to jurisdiction and facility policy.

Why this is correct
Delegation and assignment depend on client stability, task predictability, competence, and legal scope. Giving a scheduled oral medication to a stable client fits those conditions more closely than work requiring initial assessment, nursing-plan development, or evaluation.

Easy analogy or mental picture
Team assignment is like matching a licensed driver to the correct vehicle and route: authorization, competence, and conditions all matter. The comparison does not override the nurse practice act or the facility's specific policy.

Memory hook
Stable plus predictable can be assigned; assess, plan, teach, and evaluate stay with the RN.

NCLEX decision rule
Before assigning care, check client stability, predictable outcome, task complexity, staff competence, local scope, and supervision needs. Keep initial assessment, nursing judgment, plan creation, and evaluation with the RN.

Why the other choices are wrong
New chest pain requires RN assessment. Creating an initial teaching plan and evaluating a revised care plan require nursing judgment that cannot be transferred as a routine stable task.References

- [1]NCSBN: 2026 NCLEX-RN Test PlanNational Council of State Boards of Nursing

- [2]DelegationNational Council of State Boards of Nursing

## Clinical scenario

Clinical Practice Guide
For LPN assignment for stable client, compare the complete cue pattern with the client's current stability, ordered data, and expected nursing scope.

Caution
Do not choose an action from one isolated cue when the full scenario changes priority or safety.

## Key concepts

- **Licensed Practical Nurse** — A licensed nurse who provides care within a defined practical nursing scope.
- **Stable Client** — A client with predictable needs and no acute change requiring RN assessment.
- **Assignment** — Distribution of nursing work based on scope, competence, and client condition.

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