The nurse assumes care for a patient and is preparing to administer an enteral feeding. The nurse finds the patient supine and asleep. The nurse will perform which action prior to initiating the feeding?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Before initiating enteral feeding, the head of the bed must be elevated to at least 30 degrees to prevent aspiration. Therefore, choice A is the correct action to be taken by the nurse. Flushing the tubing with water is a step taken during the administration of the feeding, not prior to it. Positioning the patient to the left side is not necessary unless the patient has a known gastric paresis or delayed gastric emptying. Temporarily discontinuing the infusion is not necessary unless there is a specific reason to do so, such as the patient experiencing an adverse reaction to the feeding.

The Nurse Assumes Care for a Patient and Is Preparing