Skill Checklists for Taylor's Clinical Nursing Skills: A Nursing Process Approach

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Copyright © 2011 by Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Skill Checklists for Taylor's Clinical Nursing Skills:

Skill Checklists for Taylor's Clinical Nursing Skills:
A Nursing Process Approach, 3rd edition

Name Date

Unit Position

Instructor/Evaluator: Position

SKILL 13-8

Irrigating a Nasogastric Tube Connected to Suction

Goal:The tube maintains patency with irrigation and patient

remains free from injury. Comments

1. Assemble equipment. Verify the medical order or facility
   policy and procedure regarding frequency of irrigation,
   solution type, and amount of irrigant. Check expiration
   dates on irrigating solution and irrigation set.


2. Perform hand hygiene and put on PPE, if indicated.


3. Identify the patient.


4. Explain the procedure to the patient and why this
   intervention is needed. Answer any questions as needed.
   Perform key abdominal assessments as described above.


5. Pull the patient’s bedside curtain. Raise bed to a comfortable
   working position, usually elbow height of the caregiver
   (VISN 8 Patient Safety Center, 2009). Assist patient to 30-
   to 45-degree position, unless this is contraindicated. Pour
   the irrigating solution into container.


6. Put on gloves.Check placement of NG tube.(Refer to
   Skill 11-2.)


7. Draw up 30 mL of saline solution (or amount indicated in
   the order or policy) into syringe.


8. Clamp suction tubing near connection site. If needed, dis-
   connect tube from suction apparatus and lay on disposable
   pad or towel, or hold both tubes upright in nondominant
   hand.


9. Place tip of syringe in tube. If Salem sump or double-
   lumen tube is used, make sure that syringe tip is placed in
   drainage port and not in blue air vent.Hold syringe
   upright and gently insert the irrigant (or allow solution to
   flow in by gravity if agency policy or physician indicates).
   Do not force solution into tube.
   10.If unable to irrigate tube, reposition patient and attempt
   irrigation again. Inject 10 to 20 mL of air and aspirate
   again. Check with physician or follow agency policy, if
   repeated attempts to irrigate tube fail.

ExcellentSatisfactoryNeeds Practice