Editing Management of Care (section)

=== Making an assignment ===
When distributing a group of patients among staff, the RN considers acuity and complexity, the stability and predictability of each patient, the skill and experience of each staff member, geographic clustering to reduce travel, continuity with prior shifts, and infection-control and isolation needs. The '''most complex, least stable, or newly admitted''' patients go to the RN. Float nurses and travelers receive the '''most stable''' and least specialized patients, because their orientation to the unit is limited. A pregnant staff member should not be assigned to a patient receiving internal radiation implants or with certain communicable exposures.