A new staff nurse is assigned a procedure beyond their current experience. What should the nurse do?

• A. Perform it and document
• B. Ask a co-worker to complete it
• C. Refuse to perform the task that is beyond the nurse's experience
• D. Notify the supervisor and request formal assignment

Answer: (D)

When a new staff nurse is asked to perform a procedure beyond their current experience, the priority is patient safety. The best action is to notify the supervisor and request a formal assignment or supervision for the task. This ensures the procedure is handled by someone with the appropriate training and that competency is documented, protecting both the patient and the nurse from unsafe practice.

Documenting or performing the task on your own without supervision can imply competence you don’t yet have and introduces risk. Asking a coworker to complete it shifts responsibility and bypasses proper authorization. Simply refusing avoids addressing patient care needs and misses an opportunity for safe advancement through proper supervision and training.