Please help review for med admin through g tube

If you're going to give 15 mL of water between each med as well as 30 mL before and after, a significant portion of that 240 mL water bolus is going to be covered. I have never flushed a GT between meds. Does someone who takes oral meds drink 15 mL of water between every med? Of course not.

Also, why would you need to mix a liquid med with water? I can see individually crushing each medication/keeping them separate (though not everyone does that) but not independently crushing each pill. That will take you forever. If you need to give 5 pills to make the patient's dose of one medication, crush them together. How much water you mix each dose with depends on the med. A small tablet like ativan or decadron can be mixed with less than 1 mL but larger pills will need more water.

I got quizzed last week and dont forget to wipe your bp machine before doing it. Its my only mistake

Ok, thanks. That is what I meant- keeping each dose separate (like if the patient needs two ativan pills, crush those together but don't crush them with a tylenol too,).

Is using the plunger to push the meds through the g tube via syringe alright (or does it have to be by gravity)?

What does your facility policy say about administering meds through G-tubes?

Have you reviewed your policy at work?

If they are quizzing you it should be via gravity, as always as it is.

Ok, thanks. That is what I meant- keeping each dose separate (like if the patient needs two ativan pills, crush those together but don't crush them with a tylenol too,).

Is using the plunger to push the meds through the g tube via syringe alright (or does it have to be by gravity)?

I don't think I have ever, in 9 years of being a nurse, administered GT meds by gravity. We mix them with such a small amount of water in pediatrics and just push them.

According to potter and perry funda each drug should be given individually with a 15ml flush after each med but in reality and the way I do it. (I work in ltc too) I learned to mix them all togehter and flush after haha I know this is not the standard of practice but in ltc this will save you time. Even liquids, i mix all liquids together and crushed meds in it then dilute it with water.

I remember a thread on here about G-tube administration from maybe a year ago? I remember because of the whole, can't mix meds and all the flushing between drugs surprised me. I specifically remember it because I was never taught that and had never done that in 22 years of nursing. I've always crushed my pills, mixed them in warm water all together, and administered after checking placement and residual. Some patients, especially renal or heart patients would have alot of trouble with so much fluid between each and every pill. But someone posted the actual administration guidelines on that old thread and sure enough flushing was required after each and every med. I recommend searching for the old thread for the standard US guidelines because it is here somewhere.

And I still don't completely get why they want every med given separately, I know it was said that the medications may not combine well, but they're all going to be mixing together in the stomach,

My lab nursing instructor of 25 years experience would hand me my behind if I EVER mixed meds for g tubes. And always flush in between meds, g tube or iv. One of the rationales was that if pt started having a reaction to meds partly through the administration, you could at least narrow down to which meds it could be vs if you gave them all at once.