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RN vs LPN vs UAP Scope — NCLEX Cheat Sheet

Who can do what — delegation scope
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👤 By the CinnaRN Clinical Content Team 🕐 Updated 2026-08-23 🏷️ Management of Care 🔖 Free to read, print, and share
Delegation scope RNAssess · Teach · Evaluate · Unstable · IV push · BloodLPN/LVNStable patients · Reinforce teaching · Most meds · Wound careUAPADLs · Hygiene · Feeding · Vitals & I&O (stable) · Ambulate
Delegate the task, never the accountability. The RN keeps assessment, teaching, and evaluation.
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Use this quick-reference guide to spot, treat, and prevent RN vs LPN vs UAP Scope on the NCLEX. Keep it handy during review and on exam day!

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📒 The 1-minute cheat sheet

📌 Rn Only

  • Assessment, teaching, evaluation, care plan
  • Unstable / unpredictable patients
  • IV push, blood, titration, triage

📌 Lpn / Lvn

  • Stable patients with predictable outcomes
  • Reinforce teaching, most PO/IM meds, routine wound/trach/tube care

📌 Uap (Aide)

  • ADLs, hygiene, feeding, ambulating
  • Vitals, I&O, weight, glucose checks (stable)
  • NOT assessment or teaching

📚 RN vs LPN vs UAP Scope — full study notes

The cheat sheet above is your quick recall card. These notes go deeper — what it is, what to do first, what must be reported, and what to teach.

The RN owns assessment, teaching, evaluation, and the nursing process for unstable or unpredictable patients. Stable/predictable tasks may be delegated to the LPN/LVN or UAP, but the RN remains accountable.
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Key points

Understand these first

Nursing priorities

What to do, in order
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Red flags — report now

Escalate immediately
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Patient teaching

What patients must know

❓ RN vs LPN vs UAP Scope: NCLEX FAQs

What are the priority nursing interventions for RN vs LPN vs UAP Scope?

RN: initial assessment, teaching, evaluation, care planning, unstable patients, blood, IV push, titration. LPN: stable patients, reinforce teaching, most meds (per state), routine tube feeds, wound care.

What are the warning signs of RN vs LPN vs UAP Scope a nurse must report?

Never delegate assessment, teaching, evaluation, or an unstable/first-time task to a UAP.

What do I need to know about RN vs LPN vs UAP Scope for the NCLEX?

Assessment, teaching, evaluation, care plan. Unstable / unpredictable patients. IV push, blood, titration, triage. Stable patients with predictable outcomes.

What patient teaching is important for RN vs LPN vs UAP Scope?

Delegate the task, never the accountability — the RN still evaluates the outcome. When in doubt on an NCLEX item, the RN keeps assessment, teaching, evaluation, and the unstable patient.

Quick Tip

Assessment, teaching, evaluation, care plan.

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