Delegation & Prioritization - 2026 Clinical Decision Making:
Exam 3 - Questions with Correct Answers
100 questions
1. Accountability for the overall nursing care of a patient during a shift rests with:
A. The assistive personnel
B. The unit clerk
C. The patient
D. The registered nurse assigned to that patient
Correct Answer: D. The registered nurse assigned to that patient
Rationale: Others may perform tasks. The RN coordinates and evaluates care.
2. Employer responsibilities in delegation include:
A. Identifying a nurse leader responsible for delegation, establishing policies, providing training
and validating competency
B. Only hiring staff
C. Leaving delegation decisions entirely to assistive personnel
D. Avoiding policy
Correct Answer: A. Identifying a nurse leader responsible for delegation, establishing policies,
providing training and validating competency
Rationale: Organizational support is essential for safe delegation. Policies may be more
restrictive than law.
3. A team member who is overwhelmed and declines an additional delegated task should:
A. Communicate the reason so the nurse can reassign or adjust priorities
B. Accept and skip other tasks silently
C. Leave the unit
D. Ignore the request
Correct Answer: A. Communicate the reason so the nurse can reassign or adjust priorities
Rationale: Open communication protects patients. Workload adjustments may be needed.
,4. An employer's delegation policy may be:
A. Less restrictive than state law
B. Unrelated to state law
C. More restrictive than state law but not less restrictive
D. Optional
Correct Answer: C. More restrictive than state law but not less restrictive
Rationale: Nurses must follow both state law and employer policy. The stricter rule applies.
5. A nurse leader's role in delegation includes:
A. Delegating all leadership tasks
B. Avoiding staff
C. Evaluating delegation processes, addressing incidents and supporting staff
D. Only scheduling
Correct Answer: C. Evaluating delegation processes, addressing incidents and supporting staff
Rationale: Leaders ensure systems support safe delegation. They act on reported concerns.
6. The licensed nurse must remain available to the delegatee because:
A. It is a courtesy only
B. The delegatee is unaccountable
C. The delegatee may need guidance, help or a change in plan as the patient's status changes
D. Patients prefer it
Correct Answer: C. The delegatee may need guidance, help or a change in plan as the patient's
status changes
Rationale: Availability supports safe completion. A nurse who leaves without coverage
undermines delegation.
,7. Transfer of a nursing task to a family caregiver in home care is:
A. Always prohibited
B. Governed by state law and agency policy, often considered teaching rather than delegation
C. Delegation in all cases
D. Not a nursing concern
Correct Answer: B. Governed by state law and agency policy, often considered teaching rather
than delegation
Rationale: Families may perform care for loved ones. Nurses teach and evaluate competence.
8. Delegation competence for nurses is supported by:
A. Ignoring guidelines
B. Avoiding practice
C. Relying on luck
D. Education on scope, practice scenarios and mentoring
Correct Answer: D. Education on scope, practice scenarios and mentoring
Rationale: Schools and employers teach delegation. Simulation provides practice.
9. The "right person" means:
A. The person who is available
B. The delegatee has the appropriate training, skills and competence for the task
C. The most senior person
D. Anyone willing
Correct Answer: B. The delegatee has the appropriate training, skills and competence for the
task
Rationale: Competence is verified by the employer and nurse. Availability alone is insufficient.
, 10. The five rights of delegation are:
A. Right patient, drug, dose, route and time
B. Right place, price, product, promotion and people
C. Right task, right circumstance, right person, right directions and communication, and right
supervision and evaluation
D. Right time, team, tool, talk and target
Correct Answer: C. Right task, right circumstance, right person, right directions and
communication, and right supervision and evaluation
Rationale: These rights guide safe delegation. The medication rights are a different framework.
11. The five rights of delegation apply to:
A. Only hospitals
B. Only nursing homes
C. Only physicians
D. All settings, including hospitals, long-term care, home health and schools
Correct Answer: D. All settings, including hospitals, long-term care, home health and schools
Rationale: Principles are universal. State laws shape specific tasks.
12. Delegating oral suctioning of a stable patient with a chronic tracheostomy to trained
assistive personnel:
A. Is always prohibited
B. Is always allowed for any AP
C. Requires a physician
D. May be appropriate in some settings if policy and competency allow
Correct Answer: D. May be appropriate in some settings if policy and competency allow
Rationale: State law and policy vary. Stability and competence are key.
Exam 3 - Questions with Correct Answers
100 questions
1. Accountability for the overall nursing care of a patient during a shift rests with:
A. The assistive personnel
B. The unit clerk
C. The patient
D. The registered nurse assigned to that patient
Correct Answer: D. The registered nurse assigned to that patient
Rationale: Others may perform tasks. The RN coordinates and evaluates care.
2. Employer responsibilities in delegation include:
A. Identifying a nurse leader responsible for delegation, establishing policies, providing training
and validating competency
B. Only hiring staff
C. Leaving delegation decisions entirely to assistive personnel
D. Avoiding policy
Correct Answer: A. Identifying a nurse leader responsible for delegation, establishing policies,
providing training and validating competency
Rationale: Organizational support is essential for safe delegation. Policies may be more
restrictive than law.
3. A team member who is overwhelmed and declines an additional delegated task should:
A. Communicate the reason so the nurse can reassign or adjust priorities
B. Accept and skip other tasks silently
C. Leave the unit
D. Ignore the request
Correct Answer: A. Communicate the reason so the nurse can reassign or adjust priorities
Rationale: Open communication protects patients. Workload adjustments may be needed.
,4. An employer's delegation policy may be:
A. Less restrictive than state law
B. Unrelated to state law
C. More restrictive than state law but not less restrictive
D. Optional
Correct Answer: C. More restrictive than state law but not less restrictive
Rationale: Nurses must follow both state law and employer policy. The stricter rule applies.
5. A nurse leader's role in delegation includes:
A. Delegating all leadership tasks
B. Avoiding staff
C. Evaluating delegation processes, addressing incidents and supporting staff
D. Only scheduling
Correct Answer: C. Evaluating delegation processes, addressing incidents and supporting staff
Rationale: Leaders ensure systems support safe delegation. They act on reported concerns.
6. The licensed nurse must remain available to the delegatee because:
A. It is a courtesy only
B. The delegatee is unaccountable
C. The delegatee may need guidance, help or a change in plan as the patient's status changes
D. Patients prefer it
Correct Answer: C. The delegatee may need guidance, help or a change in plan as the patient's
status changes
Rationale: Availability supports safe completion. A nurse who leaves without coverage
undermines delegation.
,7. Transfer of a nursing task to a family caregiver in home care is:
A. Always prohibited
B. Governed by state law and agency policy, often considered teaching rather than delegation
C. Delegation in all cases
D. Not a nursing concern
Correct Answer: B. Governed by state law and agency policy, often considered teaching rather
than delegation
Rationale: Families may perform care for loved ones. Nurses teach and evaluate competence.
8. Delegation competence for nurses is supported by:
A. Ignoring guidelines
B. Avoiding practice
C. Relying on luck
D. Education on scope, practice scenarios and mentoring
Correct Answer: D. Education on scope, practice scenarios and mentoring
Rationale: Schools and employers teach delegation. Simulation provides practice.
9. The "right person" means:
A. The person who is available
B. The delegatee has the appropriate training, skills and competence for the task
C. The most senior person
D. Anyone willing
Correct Answer: B. The delegatee has the appropriate training, skills and competence for the
task
Rationale: Competence is verified by the employer and nurse. Availability alone is insufficient.
, 10. The five rights of delegation are:
A. Right patient, drug, dose, route and time
B. Right place, price, product, promotion and people
C. Right task, right circumstance, right person, right directions and communication, and right
supervision and evaluation
D. Right time, team, tool, talk and target
Correct Answer: C. Right task, right circumstance, right person, right directions and
communication, and right supervision and evaluation
Rationale: These rights guide safe delegation. The medication rights are a different framework.
11. The five rights of delegation apply to:
A. Only hospitals
B. Only nursing homes
C. Only physicians
D. All settings, including hospitals, long-term care, home health and schools
Correct Answer: D. All settings, including hospitals, long-term care, home health and schools
Rationale: Principles are universal. State laws shape specific tasks.
12. Delegating oral suctioning of a stable patient with a chronic tracheostomy to trained
assistive personnel:
A. Is always prohibited
B. Is always allowed for any AP
C. Requires a physician
D. May be appropriate in some settings if policy and competency allow
Correct Answer: D. May be appropriate in some settings if policy and competency allow
Rationale: State law and policy vary. Stability and competence are key.
