Last updated June 20, 2026

nclex-rn practice

NCLEX prioritization and delegation questions, with a framework that works

Prioritization and delegation decide a lot of NCLEX-RN results, and they follow rules you can learn. Who do you see first? Use airway-breathing-circulation, then Maslow, then stable versus unstable. What can you delegate? Match the task to the right scope of practice.

Most tested
  • Who to assess first (ABC, Maslow)
  • Stable vs unstable clients
  • What to delegate to UAP vs LPN
  • The rights of delegation
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what to know

The high-yield points, in one place.

  • ABC comes before everything. Airway, then breathing, then circulation. A client with an airway threat is always seen first.
  • Then climb Maslow. Physiological needs before safety, safety before psychological. Physical needs usually outrank emotional ones.
  • Unstable and unpredictable wins. See the new, the acute, and the changing client before the stable, chronic, or expected one.
  • Delegate the stable and routine. Unlicensed staff get standard, predictable tasks: vitals on a stable client, hygiene, feeding, ambulating.
  • Never delegate the nursing process. Assessment, planning, evaluation, and teaching stay with the RN. Delegate the task, never the judgment.
real practice questions

Try a few prioritization & delegation questions right now.

These are real NCLEX-format questions with full rationales. Open each one to see why every option is right or wrong.

Management of CareMultiple choice

A nurse receives a change-of-shift report on four clients. Which client should the nurse assess first?

  1. A client with COPD whose oxygen saturation is 91 percent on 2 L/min
  2. A client 1 day post-op who reports incisional pain rated 6 of 10
  3. A client with new onset of confusion and a respiratory rate of 8
  4. A client scheduled for discharge who is waiting for teaching
show the rationale
Why C is correct: a respiratory rate of 8 with new confusion points to a failing airway and breathing, which is the highest priority by ABC. Why the others are wrong: the COPD client's saturation of 91 percent is within the COPD target range, post-op incisional pain is expected, and discharge teaching is important but not urgent. See the unstable client whose breathing is threatened first.
Management of CareMultiple choice

A nurse is planning care assignments. Which task is most appropriate to delegate to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?

  1. Teaching a newly diagnosed client about a diabetic diet
  2. Assessing a client's surgical wound for signs of infection
  3. Measuring and recording vital signs for a stable client
  4. Evaluating a client's response to a new pain medication
show the rationale
Why C is correct: measuring and recording vital signs for a stable client is a routine, predictable task within the scope of unlicensed assistive personnel. Why the others are wrong: teaching, assessing a wound, and evaluating a response to a medication all require nursing judgment and are part of the nursing process, which stays with the licensed nurse.
Management of CareSATA

A charge nurse is delegating to a licensed practical nurse (LPN/LVN). Which tasks are appropriate to assign? Select all that apply.

  1. Administering oral and subcutaneous medications to a stable client
  2. Reinforcing teaching the registered nurse has already provided
  3. Monitoring a stable client and recording the findings
  4. Developing the initial nursing care plan for a new admission
  5. Inserting an indwelling urinary catheter for a stable client
show the rationale
Why A, B, C, E are correct: an LPN/LVN can give most routine medications, reinforce teaching the RN has already started, monitor stable clients, and perform sterile skills like catheter insertion. Why D is wrong: creating the initial care plan and the initial assessment are part of the nursing process and belong to the registered nurse. The LPN reinforces and carries out, the RN assesses and plans.

Out of prioritization & delegation questions? Make more from your own notes.

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common questions

Prioritization & Delegation on the NCLEX, answered.

How do I decide which client to see first on the NCLEX?
Work through a hierarchy. First airway, breathing, and circulation. Then Maslow, where physiological needs beat safety and safety beats psychological. Then stable versus unstable, where the new, acute, or changing client comes before the stable or expected one.
What can a nurse delegate to unlicensed assistive personnel?
Routine, predictable tasks for stable clients: vital signs, hygiene, feeding, ambulating, and basic measurements like intake and output. Anything requiring assessment, teaching, evaluation, or judgment stays with the licensed nurse.
What is the difference between what an LPN and a UAP can do?
An LPN/LVN can give most routine medications, reinforce teaching, monitor stable clients, and perform sterile skills like catheter insertion or dressing changes. A UAP is limited to routine, non-sterile support tasks. Neither performs the initial assessment, the care plan, or client teaching, which belong to the RN.
Can I practice prioritization questions from my own materials?
Yes. Upload your management-of-care notes or a lecture, and the app turns them into NCLEX-format prioritization and delegation questions with rationales for every option.
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More NCLEX-RN topics

PharmacologyRespiratoryCardiovascular