Assessment for Enteral Feeding Intolerance by Critical Care Nurses: A National Survey

Area of Science:

• Critical care nursing
• Gastroenterology
• Patient safety

Background:

• Enteral feeding intolerance (EFI) affects over a third of mechanically ventilated patients.
• Current assessment criteria for EFI are often subjective, leading to misdiagnosis.
• Nurses may lack awareness or understanding of appropriate EFI assessment methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe current practices for assessing enteral feeding intolerance (EFI) among critical care nurses.
• To identify variability in EFI assessment methods used by nurses.

Main Methods:

• A national survey was conducted with 344 critical care nurses at the 2022 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses National Teaching Institute conference.
• Nurses completed a 19-item survey detailing their practices for assessing EFI.
• Participants' experience, education, and certification were also recorded.

Main Results:

• 84% of nurses assessed EFI, with nausea and vomiting being the most common criterion.
• 81% of respondents routinely or sometimes measured gastric residual volume.
• Significant variability was observed in reported EFI assessment practices.

Conclusions:

• Current assessment of enteral feeding intolerance (EFI) is not standardized among critical care nurses.
• There is a clear need for enhanced education regarding EFI recognition and management.
• Findings will guide future research to establish evidence-based methods for EFI assessment.