Assessment of Nurses’ Practices toward Enteral Feeding Tube for Premature Neonates

Background: To ensure safe and successful enteral feeding, precise tube insertion in the stomach's body is critical. In fact, feeding tube malposition has been linked to gastric bleeding, aspiration, and gastro-oesophageal reflux problems. Mechanical complications such as tube obstruction, displacement, or dislodgement, as well as infection-related complications, occur infrequently as a result of formula handling, storage, and administration. Objective: This study aims to assess nurses practices toward enteral feeding tube for premature neonates. Methodology: This study is a complementary section of a larger study, where a quasi-experimental design using test-retest approach for study group and control group participants employed in Kirkuk City Hospitals being, evaluated in several periods, in this pare the focus is only upon the pre-test period. Data collection is done by self-administrated questionnaire form, and it was given for nurses to answer after taking their agreement. A non - probability purposive sample selected from nurses who were working at the neonatal intensive critical care units. The sample was forty nurses, (20) nurses enrolled as a control group and (20) nurses enrolled as a study group. The study group participants were exposed to an interventional program. The selection criteria included Only pediatric' nurses who have from (1-15) years of experience at critical care units. Results: The finding of this study revealed that nurses have low level of practice regarding the insertion and initiating continuous enteral feeding at the pretest. Conclusion: This study concluded that nurses at the NICU have middle to low level of practice concerning the standard procedures of insertion enteral feeding tube, and initiating enteral feeding.