The patient receives a prescription for tube feedings. Which does the nurse implement while inserting a nasogastric tube for this patient?
a. Advances the nasogastric tube while the patient swallows
b. Instructs the patient about self-care of the feeding tube
c. Eases insertion by icing down the naso-gastric tube
d. Measures the length from the patient's nose to the sternum
A
The nurse instructs the patient to swallow while the tube advances because the coordinated mus-cular action of the esophagus helps to direct it down through the cardiac sphincter and into the stomach. The nurse can provide patient teaching after the tube insertion because instruction pro-vided before the insertion is unlikely to be retained. Briefly immersing the end of the tube in warm water eases insertion by softening the end of the tube for passage through the nasal passa-geway. The nurse measures the length of the nasogastric tube properly by measuring from the tip of the nose to the earlobe to the xiphoid process.
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