Who bears primary responsibility for supervising unlicensed assistive personnel?

• A. The patient
• B. The nurse in charge (RN/LPN)
• C. The receptionist
• D. The medical records clerk

Answer: (B)

Supervising unlicensed assistive personnel is a licensed nurse’s responsibility. The nurse in charge on a unit has accountability for patient safety and for ensuring tasks are carried out correctly, within the personnel’s scope, and with proper instruction and supervision. While unlicensed staff can perform routine, delegated tasks to support patient care, they rely on a licensed nurse to provide direction, monitor performance, and intervene if issues arise. In many settings, this supervision can be provided by an RN, and in some contexts an LPN may supervise UAP under appropriate guidelines, but the key point is that supervision must come from a licensed nurse who can assess needs, adjust plans, and ensure safe care.

The patient cannot supervise care tasks, as they lack authority and clinical training to oversee staff. Administrative staff like a receptionist or a medical records clerk do not supervise clinical tasks and have no role in directing patient-care activities.

So, the primary supervisor of unlicensed assistive personnel is the nurse in charge, ensuring tasks are appropriate, clearly instructed, and continually overseen to protect patient safety.