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NCLEX-RN Delegation practice questions

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These are original practice items written to the NCLEX-RN blueprint (4 options, no penalty for wrong answers), not actual exam questions. Try each one before you open the answer.

What this topic covers

Delegation sits inside the Management of Care category of the NCLEX-RN. Our bank holds 38 verified items tagged to it, and the 4 below are a fixed sample so the page stays the same every time you open it. Each one shows the reasoning, not just the letter.

The topic tag comes from our own items rather than from a published syllabus, so treat it as a map of what we cover. For the official category breakdown see the NCLEX-RN page.

Delegation sample questions

Question 1

The RN on a medical-surgical unit is planning to delegate tasks to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) for a stable client recovering from an appendectomy. Which task is appropriate to delegate to the UAP?

  1. A Teaching the client about incision care prior to discharge
  2. B Assisting the client to ambulate to the bathroom
  3. C Administering the client's scheduled dose of intravenous antibiotic
  4. D Assessing the client's bowel sounds and abdominal distention
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B

Helping a stable postoperative client walk to the bathroom is a routine task with a predictable outcome that requires no nursing judgment, so it is appropriate to delegate to a UAP.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: Discharge teaching requires RN knowledge and evaluation of the client's understanding, so it cannot be delegated to a UAP.
C: Giving an IV antibiotic requires a licensed nurse to administer the drug and monitor the client's response.
D: Assessing bowel sounds and abdominal distention is a nursing assessment that requires clinical judgment.

Question 2

A registered nurse is delegating tasks to a nursing assistant on a busy medical unit. Which task should the RN delegate to the nursing assistant?

  1. A Feeding a client with dysphagia who requires thickened liquids and has a known aspiration risk.
  2. B Changing the dressing on a central line insertion site that has a small amount of serous drainage.
  3. C Assisting a client with a history of falls to ambulate to the bathroom using a gait belt.
  4. D Measuring the blood pressure of a client who just received a dose of intravenous hydralazine for hypertension.
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C

Assisting a client with ambulation using a gait belt is a routine, non-invasive task that falls within the nursing assistant's scope of practice and can be safely delegated after the RN has assessed the client's stability. Measuring blood pressure after a hydralazine dose (the option "Measuring the blood pressure of a client who just received a dose of intravenous hydralazi..." requires the RN to evaluate the client's response to medication, which is an assessment task that cannot be delegated. Feeding a client with dysphagia and aspiration risk (the option "Feeding a client with dysphagia who requires thickened liquids and has a known aspiration ..." requires specialized knowledge of swallowing precautions and monitoring for signs of aspiration, which is the RN's responsibility. Changing a central line dressing (the option "Changing the dressing on a central line insertion site that has a small amount of serous d..." is a sterile procedure that carries a risk of infection and must be performed by a licensed nurse or trained professional per facility policy. Thus, ambulation assistance is the appropriate task to delegate.

Question 3

The nurse is delegating care to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) on a medical-surgical unit. Which task is appropriate for the nurse to delegate to the UAP?

  1. A Remove a peripheral intravenous catheter that has infiltrated and is no longer infusing.
  2. B Obtain a clean-catch urine specimen from a client who is alert and able to follow instructions.
  3. C Reinforce teaching about incentive spirometer use with a client recovering from abdominal surgery.
  4. D Administer a prepackaged enema to a client who is constipated and has no rectal abnormalities.
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B

Collecting a clean-catch urine specimen from an alert client who can follow instructions is a routine, noninvasive task with a predictable outcome, so it falls within UAP scope once the UAP knows the procedure.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: Removing an infiltrated IV catheter includes assessing the site and the effects of the infiltrated fluid, which is a nursing responsibility.
C: A UAP may not teach or reinforce teaching; evaluating the client's learning requires a licensed nurse.
D: A prepackaged enema is given under a medication order and is invasive, so UAP use depends on state rules and facility policy; the specimen is the clearer choice.

Question 4

A registered nurse is delegating tasks to a licensed practical nurse (LPN) on a medical-surgical unit. Which task is appropriate for the RN to delegate to the LPN?

  1. A Administer a blood transfusion to a client with anemia who has a history of transfusion reactions.
  2. B Develop the plan of care for a client with diabetes who was admitted for a foot infection.
  3. C Perform a comprehensive admission assessment on a client with chest pain admitted for observation.
  4. D Administer a scheduled dose of metoprolol to a client with stable vital signs and no new symptoms.
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D

Administering a scheduled dose of metoprolol to a client with stable vital signs and no new symptoms is appropriate for an LPN because it is a routine medication administration within the LPN's scope of practice. Administering a blood transfusion (the option "Administer a blood transfusion to a client with anemia who has a history of transfusion re..." is not within the LPN's scope; this requires an RN due to the complexity and risk of reactions. Performing a comprehensive admission assessment (the option "Perform a comprehensive admission assessment on a client with chest pain admitted for obse..." is an RN responsibility because it involves clinical judgment and analysis. Developing the plan of care (the option "Develop the plan of care for a client with diabetes who was admitted for a foot infection." is an RN responsibility as it requires critical thinking and comprehensive assessment.

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