Please help... Question about NGT sumping of pigtail

[bluesky, BSN, RN]

Hello!

We have a whipple pt in our SICU right now with an NGT and tubefeeds. The SICU resident (physician) insists that the blue pigtail needs to be left open to sump (with continuous feeding). A senior nurse who came in to help me bathe the patient insisted this was absolutely wrong, that it should only be left open during low continous suction. She even went and grabbed a cap and capped it herself. To the GREAT dismay of the resident.

So, who's right?

Please please answer. I was really humiliated by the nurse, who told me I was wrong in front of both my patient and a new grad she was orienting.

Thanks