Nurse and Nursing Students´ Opinions and Perceptions of Enteral Nutrition by Nasogastric Tube in Palliative Care.

Abstract

It is widely accepted that nursing staff play a key role in palliative care (PC). The use of Nasogastric tubes (NG tubes) for Enteral Nutrition (EN) administration is still controversial in patients who receive PC. The aim of this study was to describe nurses' and nursing students´ opinions and perceptions about EN using NG tubes in adult patients in palliative care. To achieve this goal, a cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out. A self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire intended for nurses and nursing students was used. Data was descriptively and inferentially analyzed using a chi-square test to determine the differential frequency of responses. In addition, a multivariate logistic regression model was also conducted. A total of 511 participants completed the questionnaire. Among them, nursing staff represented 74.9% (n = 383) whereas nursing students were 25.1% (n = 128). When life expectancy was above six months, 90.0% (n = 460) reported that EN using NG should be implemented. In contrast, when life expectancy is less than a month, 57.5% (n = 294) discouraged it. Significant differences within groups were found when life expectancy was