NG tube placement

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I was just wondering how many nurses here have had the opportunity to place an NG tube on a patient? At my hospital, usually the interns/residents insert NG tubes. I did ask my manager awhile back that if nurses were allowed to insert NG tubes at this facility and she stated that yes, it was within our scope of practice but that we were definitely not obligated to. So...I was just wondering..how many have placed NG tubes? Thanks! :)

ETA: Sorry forgot to mention that I do work at a teaching hospital, so haven't had the opportunity to place an NG tube but we can start IV's even though we have an IV team. Need to clarify again that this is not the norm on my floor being vascular and all...mentioned that in another post here...

Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, Home Health, Oncology.
My ten-year-old grandson has spina bifida and has had too many hospitalizations to count. Any time he is post-op, he usually has to deal with a sluggish bowel/ileus, and that often means an NG tube. He has also reached a point of "treatment fatigue" where he has just about had it with being poked and probed and stuck and all the rest.

This last time, when he was told he needed the NG, he was NOT happy. Finally, he was able to express that he didn't mind the tube so much once it was in, but he didn't like having it inserted. A very creative nurse asked if he wanted to put it in himself and he jumped at the chance. She, of course, stood by and watched every second of the procedure and did all the proper checks afterward, but he did the insertion and advancement himself. This gave him a bit of control over his life and saved him the huge amount of stress and energy that it would have cost him to resist.

I was dumbfounded when I heard about it, but this is a kid who can cath himself. I'm grateful that the nurse saw what he really needed and was able to give it to him. My daughter was thrilled that the tube went in so easily. And my grandson was proud of himself instead of being traumatized once again.

Obviously, this is not something that would be appropriate very often, but in this situation, it was a great example of treating the whole patient.

What a MARVELOUS Nurse this was!! I thank God that there are so many of us who can "see" what some of our patient's need!!! WOW:yeah: :w00t:

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I am surprized to hear that nurses over here don't regularly pass NGT's! Is that normal everywhere or is it just this one hospital? I am from the UK and good luck trying to find a doctor to pass an NGT.Stictly a nursing job unless its during a code or trauma call!

NGT where placed by the SHO(resident) while i was in ent(placement)

though elsewhere its a nurses job

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

I've never worked in a teaching hospital so that probably makes a difference. But I've worked at about 5 different facilities and the only NG's placed by MD's were those placed in fluroscopy (due to difficult anatomy) or surgery.

I know work in NICU and might easily insert or reinsert NG's (or OG's) many times in a shift (busy fingers, slobbery mouth make for many resinsertiions).

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OK, I'm a little suprised that you went through nursing school and don't know that NG insertion is common for nurses. There are things that we do that are much more advanced than that. NG is very basic. I guess I'm just an old nurse who will never understand this kind of nursing practice. But, back to your question, yes we do NG's, dc swans, do IUP caths in OB, attatch featal internal fetal monitors in OB, adjust pacers in ohru, extubate, adjust many forms of medications, give blood make many decisions that physicians used to make 20 years ago (according to DR's orders for hemodynamic peramiters etc). We have standing orders but wow, NG's are the least form of stress as far as procedures go.. Infact most of our cardiac thor. Docs don't want the interns etc any where near their fresh open heart pts.

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.

At my facility, we don't usually insert them because patients come up to the floor with the tube inserted in OP/PACU but often have to re-insert them after patients pull them out.

I started practicing NG placements on kids during NSG school - I got to drop about 7 of them in a 6 week rotation.

cheers,

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geri, Ortho, Telemetry, Psych.
I inserted my first one a few weeks ago - it was a salem sump & it was my first time.

Did you enjoy it?

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Nevermind.

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Specializes in acute, med/surg/ER/geri/CPR instructor.

At my facility, the nurses put them in. In my 13 years, I have dropped many in. Some much harder than others.

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Specializes in Occ health, Med/surg, ER.

Yes, I have dropped NGTs before. It is very, very uncomfortable for the patient. It was not one of my fav nursing tasks.

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Specializes in Occ health, Med/surg, ER.
Nice to know I'm not the only one.. People at work think I'm crazy... I would much rather drop a NG tube than start a foley any day... Most of my co-workers are quite happy to trade out :)

Now that's good teamwork. I love it. I wish I had that where I work.

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Its kinda of scarey thinking about a any MD dropping an NGT :idea: Can you tell me how they verify placement?

Thank you

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Its kinda of scarey thinking about a any MD dropping an NGT :idea: Can you tell me how they verify placement?

Thank you

On my floor we don't get many NGT patients, but I believe they check placement by inserting air, and hearing a click..?? I can't remember..but we've really only had 1 or 2 patients with one. And yeah, the residents put them in. Wow so many nurses here have dropped NGT-that would definitely be a nice skill to learn.

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