NCLEX delegation cheat sheet: what RNs, LPNs and assistive personnel can take on
Written and reviewed by Rachel Goldberg, MSN, RN, CEN · 4 min read · Updated November 2026
Short answer
On the NCLEX, an RN delegates to an LPN/VN or assistive personnel only when the client is stable, the task fits the delegatee's training and no nursing judgment is needed. The NCSBN and ANA guidelines say clinical reasoning, nursing judgment and critical decision making cannot be delegated, so assessment, planning and evaluation stay with the RN.
The rule behind every delegation item
The source for NCLEX delegation logic is the National Guidelines for Nursing Delegation, adopted jointly by NCSBN and the American Nurses Association in April 2019. They apply where a state nurse practice act is silent, and they cover RNs delegating to LPN/VNs and assistive personnel, and LPN/VNs delegating to assistive personnel where the state allows.
The guidelines define the five rights. Right task means it is in the job description or facility policy. Right circumstance means the client is stable. Right person means the delegatee has the skills. Right directions and communication means specific, two-way instructions. Right supervision and evaluation means the nurse follows up and checks the outcome.
RN vs LPN vs UAP at a glance
RN: performs the initial and ongoing assessment, makes the plan of care, does initial teaching, evaluates outcomes and keeps unstable or unpredictable clients. The 2026 RN test plan lists delegating and supervising care provided by LPN/VNs, assistive personnel and other RNs, and evaluating delegated tasks, as RN activities.
LPN/VN: the 2026 PN test plan uses the verbs collect data, contribute to the plan of care, reinforce education, assign tasks to assistive personnel and monitor their activities. On a test item, that points to stable clients with predictable outcomes and care that follows a plan the RN already made.
UAP or assistive personnel: the guidelines define this group as anyone trained to work in a supportive role, regardless of title, including CNAs, patient care technicians and home health aides. Their routine assignments are the care taught in their basic training, such as hygiene, ambulation, feeding and measuring vital signs on a stable client, always within state law and facility policy.
What is the EAT rule, and where it breaks
EAT stands for Evaluate, Assess, Teach, a study mnemonic for tasks the RN should not hand off. It is not an NCSBN term, but it matches the guideline that nursing judgment cannot be delegated, and it gets most UAP questions right.
It breaks on LPN questions if you apply it literally. The PN test plan expects LPN/VNs to collect data and reinforce education, so an LPN reinforcing the discharge teaching an RN already gave can be a correct answer. The wrong answers are an LPN doing the initial admission assessment, writing the care plan or teaching a newly diagnosed client for the first time.
Delegation, assignment and handoff are different
The guidelines separate three ideas. Assignment is routine care within someone's scope or basic training. Delegation is handing over a specific activity beyond the delegatee's usual role, which needs extra training and validated competence. Transfer of care between two RNs or two LPNs is a handoff, not delegation.
Accountability also splits. The delegating nurse stays accountable for the client, while the delegatee is responsible for the delegated activity. A delegatee cannot pass the task to someone else, must tell the nurse if they cannot finish it, and must give it back if the nurse decides to do it personally.
Five checks to run on any answer choice
Is the client stable, with a predictable outcome? Is the task routine and taught in the delegatee's training? Does it need assessment, interpretation or a decision? Is it within this person's scope in the question's setting? Has the nurse given specific instructions on what to report and when?
If any answer is no, the RN keeps the task. If the stem describes a change, such as a client whose blood pressure dropped since the last check, the right circumstance is gone and the RN must reassess before anything is delegated again.
Sources
NCSBN and ANA: National Guidelines for Nursing Delegation (effective April 29, 2019). Who may delegate, five rights definitions, judgment cannot be delegated, assignment vs delegation vs handoff, delegatee duties, assistive personnel definition
2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan (effective April 2026). RN assignment, delegation and supervision activity statements
2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan (effective April 2026). LPN/VN verbs: collect data, contribute to plan of care, reinforce education, assign and monitor assistive personnel
Common questions
What can an RN delegate to an LPN?
Care for stable clients that fits the LPN's scope and training: collecting data, reinforcing teaching and carrying out an existing plan. Initial assessment, care planning, evaluation and unstable clients stay with the RN.
What can a UAP do on the NCLEX?
Routine care from their basic training on stable clients: hygiene, ambulation, feeding and measuring vital signs. A UAP reports findings to the nurse; they do not interpret them, teach, or assess.
Can an LPN delegate tasks?
The NCSBN and ANA guidelines allow LPN/VNs to delegate to assistive personnel only where state law permits, and the 2026 PN test plan includes assigning tasks to assistive personnel and monitoring their work.