Nasogastric Tube Placement Verification In Pediatric and Neonatal Patients

P ediatric nurses have alwaysbeen strong advocates of pro-viding high-quality patient care.The evidence-based practice process offers an opportunity to support updating nursing practice based on the strongest research evi-dence available, in combination with patient and family values and sound clinical judgment (Sackett, Straus, Richardson, Rosenberg, & Haynes, 2000). Using the evidence-based practice process results in improved patient outcomes, often while reduc-ing costs, and provides an opportuni-ty for bedside clinicians to demon-strate an important impact on health care. Traditional nursing practices provide a wonderful opportunity to question practice and potentially improve patient care, which can be very empowering for staff nurses. Nasogastric (NG) tube placement is a routine procedure used for pedi-atric and neonatal patients. However, little research exists regarding the ver-ification of NG tubes in children. Several clinical studies and anecdotal reports questioning the use of auscul-tation to verify NG tube placement have been reported, some dating back more than 20 years (Ghahremani & Gould, 1986). However, the vast majority of nurses continue to check NG tube placement by auscultation of air insufflation over the abdomen. Purpose The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to improve and standardize NG tube placement verifi-cation practices used throughout a Midwestern children’s hospital. An evi-dence-based practice approach was used to outline nursing practice and to minimize the risk of incorrectly place