Irrigating a catheter or NG tube

[NurseSunshine25]

Anyone care to share the proper technique to irrigate a catheter or NG tube? Never had to do it before and I am afraid I will be assigned this during my CPNE.

[erinp88]

NurseSunshine: I have the same fear! I called Excelsior this morning and they recommended this book for skills: Clinical Nursing Skills: Basic to Advanced Skills

The ISBN: 0132243555. It's accompanied by a CD-ROM as well. They said faculty follows this exactly.

On the other hand, I've heard through the rumor mill that Irrigation and Specimen Collection has not been assigned in over a year. I'm not attending a workshop, but may do some of the online ones. I was thinking about doing the skills one, but it sounds like it's just literature thrown at you... no examples of Excelsior staff performing the skills. Anyways, I'm still pretty freaked out!

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

I also recommend this set:

http://www.amazon.com/Taylors-Video-Clinical-Nursing-Skills/dp/0781768136/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263493047&sr=8-2

There are something like 17 CD-ROMs in that set that show you how to do just about everything. The acting is a bit cheeseball, but the production is good.

Edited to add: looks like you can also get the DVD set for less:

http://www.amazon.com/Taylors-Video-Clinical-Nursing-Skills/dp/0781773644/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263493047&sr=8-1

The first link is a CD-ROM set that plays on a computer.

[NurseSunshine25]

Thanks!!

[jlrevis]

That book they recommended is also on all the hospital floors and you can ask to look at it during your cpne weekend. You can also ask the primary nurse for the policy for flushing anything and they will tell you and the hospital policy overrides excelsior. And I was also told by a previous CE that irrigation hasn't been assigned in over a yr, so don't freak too much about it!

[EquuszARNP]

Yeah I've never talked to anyone who got this on their CPNE, at least not in the past few years.