NG Tube Placement in Lab

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Hi guys! I just went to our welcoming reception this morning and I found out that we are going to practice IV, blood draw, injections and NG tube with our partners. I'm starting the program next week and I'm not looking forward to the NG tube part. Can anyone tell me how that is done and do you have any tips on how to do it correctly. I know that we will be trained first before doing it on ourselves but I just want to get a little insight from those of you who have done this before. I'm getting pretty nervous about this one:eek: . I need some advice please. Thanks a lot!

In the real world it's your tushy on the line....if you don't feel comfortable doing something don't do it....

I did clinical at hershey medical and one of the nurses said that she had been out of nursing school for a few years and still hadn't done and NG tube....it isn't like you are going to be a master practicing on your fellow student....

I have problems with this instructor of yours....

I sent you a private message.

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Is your instructor going to make you practice putting foley catheters in eachother???

well if it is between student putting in a NG tube or a foley....I will bare the humiliation and let them put in the foley....but screw the NG tube....

i have major issues with NG tubes....I mean I don't mind putting them in because they need to be put it (bowel obstruction, to empty stomach)...but the patient experiences pain and great discomfort from this (the process of putting them in)...you should see their faces when you are advancing this tube....some have tears rolling down their faces....AND THEY FIGHT....

The first time I put in a NG tube well it was actually a keofeed....the gentleman was intubated....(i was there when they did that)....I asked him to swallow...I tried twice and both times the tube came out through his mouth....2 is my limit.....

He had tears rolling down his face....god bless him....

this was about a month ago....

He passed away yesterday....

ABOVE ALL DO NO HARM

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The worst thing I ever have to do on a pt. is NG tubes. I have learned that if they have prn orders for ativan and want it, I give it to them! One very sweet lady with a bowel obstruction had her ativan and her prn morphine right before insertion and still was crying the whole time. The next day she told me there wasn't anything that anyone could do to her that was worse than what i did when I put the NG down :o This from a lady with end stage ovarian cancer! This is not to scare you but to let you know that it causes more than just a little discomfort.

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Education.

Our facility switched to primarily using flexible silicone NGTs. Multiple patients have told me the silicone tubes are much better than the usual rigid ones. (Although it's difficult to advance the silicone tubes in unconscious patients)

I've made it a practice to run the tube under hot water then wind it around 2-3 fingers so it kind of has a curve in it. Then there's a glass of water with a straw for the patients to sip...have them hold it with both hands so they're less likely to reach for the tube.

Typically trauma patients will get NGTs prior to CXR. A 2 oz catheter-tip syringe can be used to give them sips of water while you're placing the tube. It's going to be connected to suction so the few sips of water won't hurt them.

I agree with you guys...I truly feel for patients that get NGTs...I'm always apologizing for the procedure while explaining why it's needed & what measures I'll use to decrease discomfort!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
The next day she told me there wasn't anything that anyone could do to her that was worse than what i did when I put the NG down :o This from a lady with end stage ovarian cancer! This is not to scare you but to let you know that it causes more than just a little discomfort.

Yep, same here. One of the people who was telling me about this was end stage Ov Ca and said the exact same thing... of everything she had been through (and it was ALOT) the placement of the NG tube for her bowel obstruction (from multiple surgeries) was absolutely the worst. So, really it's not about whether or not I feel like I can or can't do it to someone else in school... it's the fact that there is no way in h*** I would want someone else (especially a student) doing it to me. Double standard, ya betcha, and I make no apologies for it

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The worst thing I ever have to do on a pt. is NG tubes. I have learned that if they have prn orders for ativan and want it, I give it to them! One very sweet lady with a bowel obstruction had her ativan and her prn morphine right before insertion and still was crying the whole time. The next day she told me there wasn't anything that anyone could do to her that was worse than what i did when I put the NG down :o This from a lady with end stage ovarian cancer! This is not to scare you but to let you know that it causes more than just a little discomfort.
I was told by a student who is a semester ahead of me that the reason my school wants this done is to let us experience how a patient would feel. They want the students to be sympathetic towards patients, but I feel that nurses are in this profession because of their devotion (although some just want the $$$). We sympathize with patients because we truly care for them and not because we've gone through the same thing.
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Specializes in Med-Surg.
I was told by a student who is a semester ahead of me that the reason my school wants this done is to let us experience how a patient would feel.

Lol, this reminds me of my husband, a police officer. He has had to be maced and hit with a stun gun during the course of his training so that he would know "how the other guy feels." He wonders when they're going to start beating on him with a baton or shooting him with his gun so that he knows how that feels as well...

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Hi guys! I survived the first week! It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We learned so much already in so little time and I'm not so scared about the NG anymore. I found out that we now have the option to not do it if we don't want to. Also, if we decide to do it, we will be under very close supervision. It will be one student per instructor in the lab. Right now I feel that I can probably try it since my anxiety level has gone down. I found a great lab partner and the instructors are all very supportive. I'll probably write again when it's close to the time. I have two full weeks to get ready. Hopefully, I won't chicken out:rotfl: .

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Wow. We get kicked out if we try anything on eachother. My school is very much against it - there was a whole big paper on it at orientation. Instead we have patient simulators, which I'm excited about. They're brand new this year, and they bleed, cry, go to the bathroom, throw up, get rashes, etc. I think seeing a crying mannequin might freak me out a little. :uhoh21: Those things look creeepy enough already!

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What is this college thinking!!! Doing invasive procedures on people who don't need them! This is tantamount to abuse (well maybe not that bad) but this is ridiculous!

Thank you. My thoughts exactly.

In my school, all work was practiced on manniquins. The school would be in for a heck of a lawsuit if something went wrong on a student, wouldn't it?

I'd refuse, on the basis of the invasivenss and lack of necessity. Volunteering is one thing, but forcing students to submit when there is no medical need is not reasonable.

Now, if the instructors wanted to volunteer..... I can see that..... (:rolleyes:)

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Wow. We get kicked out if we try anything on eachother. My school is very much against it - there was a whole big paper on it at orientation. Instead we have patient simulators, which I'm excited about. They're brand new this year, and they bleed, cry, go to the bathroom, throw up, get rashes, etc. I think seeing a crying mannequin might freak me out a little. :uhoh21: Those things look creeepy enough already!

Whoa! That's cool! Your school is pretty high-tech. In my school, we have to sign a liability release the first day of class. At least this semester, we have the option of not doing it. Keep us posted on how the pt. simulators work for you, co'z it's very interesting.

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^^I"ll post updates about the sims. I'll probably start a new thread once I've used one. I haven't even seen one, I've only heard what they told us about them at orientation. Right now we only have two, but more are coming in this week. I can't wait to practice on them!

I have some questions about them, though. The instructors said they bleed, vomit, urinate, etc. So, does stuff come out of them? If so, what is it? Do the instructors have to refill them with...stuff? Is there just something on there that says "vomiting?" For some reason this makes me think of those baby dolls that you pour water in and it looks like they're going to the bathroom.

As you can see, I don't have a clue right now. :)

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