Enteral feeding is a critical way of delivering nutrients to the patient’s gastrointestinal tract when the patient is unable to take food orally. It is used in surgery hence it requires skills to prevent the occurrence of complications with the patient such as weaknesses that may need special diets for recovery. Since most patients require enteral care, particularly the maintaining and replacement of NGT, PEG and jejunostomy feeding, healthcare providers need to receive training. In this blog post, I will discuss what aspects of this training we will cover, what competencies such professionals will gain, and why safe enteral feeding management is crucial.
Understanding Enteral Feeding Methods
Before delving into the details of training, it’s essential to understand the differences between the primary types of enteral feeding:
- Nasogastric Tube (NGT): This study defines an NGT simply as a thin tube passed through the nose, through the gullet and into the stomach. It is employed in temporary feeding in the patients who cannot take regular food in their mouth due to diseases like stroke, trauma or surgery.
- Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG): PEG feeding is performed when a feeding tube is inserted through the skin of the abdomen into the stomach. It is normally used in patients requiring supplemental feeds for a long period, for example, those patients with neurological illnesses.
- Jejunostomy Feeding: Tube placement directly into the jejunum which is a part of the small intestine without passage through the stomach. This is especially true for patients who cannot undergo gastric feeding because of disorders such as severe reflux or mechanical obstruction.
Understanding why Enteral Care Training is Essential
The safe administration of enteral feeding requires a series of manipulations which, if not performed correctly, can cause infections of the tube, displacement of the tube, and possibly aspiration pneumonia. An ideal enteral care training program, such as the Shreeji Training, seeks to enable the health care professionals who are delivering such methods of feeding to undertake it in the right manner. This training not only enhances the quality of patient care but also empowers healthcare providers to make critical decisions under pressure.
Core Components of Enteral Care Training
- Understanding the Anatomy and Physiology of the GI Tract
One week of training is initiated with the assessment of the gastrointestinal tract and the roles and methods used by NGT, PEG, and Jejunostomy tubes. For a long time now it has emerged clear that there is some variation in the anatomy of the patient and therefore understanding that anatomy is crucial in the placement and management of each of the type feeding tubes.
- Safe Tube Placement and Management
For healthcare providers, it is important to know more about the right way of placing and fixing the feeding tube. While PEG and jejunostomy tubes are normally passed by physicians, workers, and nurses are the common users of NGT. Techniques of anchoring the tubes are also trained in how to check that the tubes are placed correctly by testing the PH level or x-ray confirmation.
- Administering Enteral Feeds
One of the most large sections of training relates to feeding assessments; deciding which formula is correct and how fast the patients should be fed. Employers teach workers concerning the nutritional requirements of the different clients, giving the bolus feed, or continuing feed; and controlling the pump to give regulated feed.
- Complication Surveillance and Control
Consequences of enteral feeding tubes are infection, blockage, aspiration pneumonitis, and intra-gastric tube migration. Training means that there are few or no chances of the emergence of these issues by ensuring that the healthcare providers are ready to identify the precursors to such problems and act on them instantly. This may include clearing the tube to enhance its functioning by minimising blockage, checking for infection signs around the tube placed area and changing feeding techniques due to aspiration suspected.
Benefits that Healthcare Providers get from Enteral Care Training
- Enhanced Patient Safety
Healthcare workers who undergo training on enteral feeding will be well-prepped to prevent risks associated with the process. They learn how to verify the right positioning of the tube and this is very important since wrong feed positioning may cause severe complications.
- Better Nutrition Control
This knowledge of nutritional requirements and feeding regimes will help healthcare providers provide the best possible feeding regimens to the patients, and therefore improve patient’s overall well-being.
- Competence in Emergency Situations
If there are any problems, then trained personnel will be able to act quickly. Regardless of having clogged tube infections or symptoms of aspiration, they are always ready to provide appropriate interventions that help prevent further complications.
- Increased Patrons and Families Understanding
Since caregivers play a role in tube insertion, patients and their families can receive timely, empathetic, and accurate information regarding this intervention which shall help them understand how to perform daily care on the tube as per their protocol. Such a level of support helps families and makes them participate in a patient’s care process.
Why enteral care training at Shreeji Training?
That is why at Shreeji Training, we are dedicated to providing all healthcare providers with an opportunity to receive adequate, realistic training in enteral feeding safety management. Our Enteral Care Training program offers a theoretical approach accompanied by scenarios to improve the educational experience of clinicians and their patients. The trainers themselves are highly qualified and will guide you through all stages of enteral feeding: from NGT via PEG to jejunostomy to make sure even when you are dealing with the most complicated cases you treat people with respect and courtesy.
References
- The Royal College of Nursing. (2024, November 5). RCN – Home | Royal College of Nursing. https://www.rcn.org.uk/
- Wren Healthcare. (2024, November 7). Home Health Solutions – Clinical Trials – Wren Healthcare. https://wrenhc.com/
- Enteral feeding and medicines administration – Care Quality Commission. (n.d.). https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/adult-social-care/enteral-feeding-medicines-administration
- Stirland, H., Policy Approval and Compliance Group, Stirland, H., O’Donnell, A., O’Donnell, A., & O’Donnell, A. (2017). Nasogastric Tube Management and Care. In Procedural Document (pp. 1–22) [Procedural document]. https://www.dbth.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/PAT-T-17-v-5-Nasogastric-Tube-Management-and-Care-Final.pdf