The American Nurses Association's (ANA) Standards of Practice does not allow the LPN/LVN to work independently; rather they practice under the supervision of an RN. The nursing process is used in the development of nursing care plans. The nursing process includes the following phases: assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation.

Considering the ANA's LPN/LVN practice restrictions, answer the following questions:

1. In which phases of the nursing process could the assistance of an LPN/LVN be most helpful?

2. If the LPN/LVN can help the RN establish a nursing care plan, in what way and to what extent can they help?

3. Is the delegation of data collection to the LPN/LVN acceptable or should the RN collect the data to ensure accuracy?

4. During the implementation phase, which steps do you think the LPN could assist and where would her/his expertise be best utilized?