480 Week 6: Enteral/Parenteral Nutrition Lecture

The nurse is caring for a patient who is prescribed enteral nutrition via a nasogastric (NG) tube. During the nurse's assessment, the patient complains of abdominal discomfort and distention. The nurse notices residual feeding in the NG tube from the previous feeding, which indicates poor gastric emptying. What action should the nurse take first?

• Stop the enteral feeding immediately and notify the healthcare provider.

• Increase the rate of the enteral feeding to promote better absorption.

• Flush the NG tube with water to clear the residual feeding.

• Reposition the patient into a supine position to facilitate digestion.

A nurse is caring for a patient who requires total parenteral nutrition (TPN) due to malnutrition and an inability to tolerate enteral feeds. Which nursing interventions are appropriate when administering PN? (Select all that apply.)

• Monitor blood glucose levels q4 hours

• Change the TPN solution every 24 hours

• Assess the patient's weight once a week

• Administer medications through the same IV line used for TPN

• Use aseptic technique during TPN setup and administration