Skills Module: Enteral Tube Feeding
A nurse is caring for a group of clients. The nurse should identify that which of the following requires an enteral tube feeding?
a client who has dysphagia
A nurse is inserting a nasogastric tube for a client and asks the client to flex their head toward their chest after the tube passes through the nasopharynx. This action facilitates proper insertion of the tube by achieving which of the following?
closing off the glottis (prevents the tube from entering the trachea)
A nurse is caring for a client who has a dysfunctional gastrointestinal tract and requires enteral feeding. Which of the following formulas should the nurse administer to the client>
elemental (contain predigested nutrients that are easy for a partially functional gastrointestinal tract to absorb)
A client who lives in a long-term care facility is receiving intermittent enteral feedings and is experiencing social isolation. Which of the following interventions should the nurse recommend?
encourage the client to go to the dining room at meal times to talk with other clients
A nurse is preparing to administer a continuous enteral tube feeding to a client. The nurse should take which of the following actions to prevent a complication of the tube feeding?
limit the time the formula hangs to 8 hr.
A nurse is caring for a client who has a significant risk of aspiration and requires nutritional support for about 2 weeks because they are unable to consume adequate nutrients orally. Which of the following types of feeding tubes should the nurse anticipate the provider to prescribe?
nasointestinal tube (recommended for clients at a high risk of aspiration who require short-term feedings of less than 4 weeks)
A nurse is inserting a small-bore feeding tube. Before initiating the feeding, the nurse should take which of the following actions to verify placement?
obtain an x-ray
A nurse is providing teaching about risk for aspiration with a client who is receiving intermittent bolus nasogastric feedings. Which of the following findings should the nurse instruct the client to report?
persistent coughing
A nurse is administering an enteral tube feeding to a client. Which of the following actions should the nurse take to prevent aspiration?
place the client in Fowler's position
To determine the length of a nasointestinal tube to insert, a nurse should measure the distance from the tip of the client's nose to the earlobe and from the earlobe to the
xiphoid process plus 20 to 30 cm more.