A Clinical Nurse Specialist-Led Initiative to Reduce Deficits in Tube Feeding Administration for the Surgical and...

The purpose of this clinical nurse specialist-led initiative was to redefine the standard of care to reduce the deficit that exists between the daily amount of tube feedings prescribed versus received by patients in a surgical-trauma intensive care unit.

Nutrition plays a vital role in health and wellness. Although nutritional recommendations are not always met by individuals on a daily basis-the presence of in-hospital malnutrition presents greater risks and complications after a surgery or traumatic event. An evidence-based algorithm for initiating and maintaining tube feedings was developed and incorporated into morning bedside report. A preintervention and postintervention chart analysis was done to calculate the amount of tube feedings received by patients during their first 5 days of admission.

Preintervention data revealed that 29 patients received a mean 49.8% (SD, 21.6%) of tube feedings prescribed, and postintervention data showed 31 patients received 60.4% (SD, 18.5%) of tube feedings prescribed (P = .04).

Through the implementation of a tube feeding algorithm, there was a reduction of tube feed interruptions and volume deficits during the first 5 days of admission.