Which interventions in preparing the patient for abdominal surgery can be delegated to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?

The correct choice, which involves having unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) obtain vital signs, is appropriate because this task falls within the scope of practice for UAP. Vital signs are fundamental measurements that are essential for monitoring a patient’s physiological status before surgery, and they do not require the advanced training or judgment that is typically expected of licensed nurses or medical professionals.

In the surgical setting, UAP are trained to accurately measure and report vital signs—including temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure—to assist the nursing staff in assessing the patient's preoperative condition. This delegation helps streamline the preoperative process, allowing licensed staff members to focus on more complex care activities.

Other tasks listed, like the insertion of a nasogastric (N/G) tube and obtaining operative consent, require a higher level of clinical knowledge, skills, and decision-making abilities that UAP do not possess. Insertion of an N/G tube involves understanding anatomy and potential complications, while obtaining operative consent demands legal and ethical considerations that must be handled by qualified healthcare professionals. Additionally, sterile gowning is a task that requires training in sterile techniques to prevent infection; therefore, it is generally reserved for those who are qualified to maintain sterility during surgical procedures.