The LPN is caring for 5 patients. Which task is MOST appropriate to delegate to a certified nursing assistant (CNA)?

DELEGATION TO CNA: CNAs perform tasks within their scope: assistance with ADLs (bathing, grooming, dressing, ambulation, feeding); vital signs (after training and competency verification); toileting assistance; positioning; reporting observations to the nurse. WHAT CNAs CANNOT DO: assessment (evaluating pain, wound assessment); medication administration; catheter insertion; IV care; anything requiring nursing judgment. Assisting with morning hygiene for a STABLE patient is squarely within CNA scope — it is an ADL task. Assessment of a new patient's pain requires nursing judgment. Oral medication administration requires the nurse. Catheter insertion requires the nurse. The key word STABLE is important — unstable patients require more direct nursing involvement even for ADL tasks if the instability could change the care plan.