How to Train for Tube Feeding

Tube feeding is the term commonly used for the process of providing nutrition and/or medication directly to the stomach or intestine. Depending on the patient's condition, age and other factors, tube feeding may be required for the short term or for longer periods of time. Necessary nutritional elements are instilled through a nasogastric tube, which enters the nose and travels through the throat and esophagus to the stomach or upper small intestine; or through a percutaneous endoscopic gastronomy catheter device called a PEG tube, which is surgically implanted through the abdominal wall into the stomach. Thorough tube-feeding training by skilled professionals improves patient outcomes and decreases the likelihood of complications due to human error.

Things You'll Need

• Antibacterial soap
• Sterile gloves
• Anatomical practice dummy or live patient
• Rubbing alcohol
• Sterile gauze squares, 4 inches by 4 inches
• Antibiotic cream, if prescribed
• 60-ml syringe with catheter tip
• pH meter or test strips
• Prescribed type and amount of feeding solution
• Sterile water at room temperature, 60 ml minimum
• Sterile container to mix formula and pour into syringe or plastic bag, if necessary
• Large syringe or calibrated plastic bag and tubing or prefilled bottle with drip chamber, tubing and clamp to regulate flow
• Feeding or infusion pump, if required

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Instructions

• 1

  Familiarize yourself with the feeding set equipment and the human anatomy involved. Wash your hands and put on gloves. Use a dummy or patient to practice cleaning the incision site if feeding is done through a PEG tube. Understand whether you will be administering the feeding through an open or closed system. Open refers to the formula being administered from a syringe or container with an open top. A closed system uses a prefilled container with tubing attached.

• 2

  Learn to aspirate and inspect gastric contents with 60-ml syringe, and test the pH. Learn to inspect, store and mix the feeding formula with sterile water if required. Practice aseptic techniques, such as hand washing, changing sterile gloves and wiping the top of the formula container with alcohol before opening it. Practice assembling and filling the feeding reservoir, if necessary, and connecting it to the nasogastric or PEG tube.

• 3

  Learn the correct temperature at which to administer the formula and the safe method of bringing it to that temperature. Review instructions concerning the duration of the feeding, positioning the patient and the feeding bag, and how to adjust the drip rate or operate the infusion pump if one has been ordered.

• 4

  Learn and practice how to clean and manage the nasogastric or PEG access site, including how and how often to flush it to prevent clogging or contamination and how to close and secure the device when feeding is finished. Practice monitoring and recording patient information related to the tube feeding process, such as intake and output amounts.