Which of the following tasks is outside the scope of practice for a nursing assistant?

Which of the following tasks is outside the scope of practice for a nursing assistant?

• A. Giving a resident a bath
• B. Inserting a tube into a resident's body
• C. Helping a resident eat dinner
• D. Transferring a resident from the bed to a chair

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is what a nursing assistant is allowed to do versus what requires a higher level of training. Nursing assistants perform personal care and help with daily activities like bathing, feeding, and moving residents from bed to chair. These tasks involve basic care and observation and don’t require invasive procedures or medical decision-making. Inserting a tube into a resident’s body, on the other hand, is an invasive medical procedure that requires clinical assessment, sterile technique, specialized equipment, and orders from a licensed clinician. It falls under the responsibilities of a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, or physician, not a nursing assistant. That’s why this task is outside the scope of practice for a nursing assistant. So, giving a bath, helping a resident eat, and transferring a resident from bed to chair are within an NA’s typical duties, while inserting a tube is not.

The main idea here is what a nursing assistant is allowed to do versus what requires a higher level of training. Nursing assistants perform personal care and help with daily activities like bathing, feeding, and moving residents from bed to chair. These tasks involve basic care and observation and don’t require invasive procedures or medical decision-making.

Inserting a tube into a resident’s body, on the other hand, is an invasive medical procedure that requires clinical assessment, sterile technique, specialized equipment, and orders from a licensed clinician. It falls under the responsibilities of a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, or physician, not a nursing assistant. That’s why this task is outside the scope of practice for a nursing assistant.

So, giving a bath, helping a resident eat, and transferring a resident from bed to chair are within an NA’s typical duties, while inserting a tube is not.