A charge nurse at a long-term care facility ensures that the workload is distributed equally among staff when making assignments.
Which of the following ethical principles is the nurse upholding?

This action indicates that the charge nurse should intervene because adding food coloring to the tube feeding is not recommended and can cause adverse effects such as aspiration, diarrhea, and allergic reactions.

Choice A is wrong because checking the volume of the aspirate is a correct action to assess gastric residual volume and prevent complications such as nausea, vomiting, and aspiration.

Choice B is wrong because checking the pH of the aspirate is a correct action to verify the placement of the NG tube and prevent accidental administration of enteral feeding into the lungs.

Choice C is wrong because administering 15 mL of water before administering the feeding is a correct action to flush the NG tube and prevent clogging.

Normal ranges for gastric residual volume are less than 250 mL for adults and less than 5 mL/kg for children. Normal ranges for pH of gastric aspirate are less than 5.5 for adults and less than 4 for children.

Place the newborn on a flat surface and clap hands loudly.

This action will elicit the Moro reflex, also known as the startle reflex, which is a normal, involuntary reaction that newborns and infants have when they’re startled. In response to the sound, the baby will throw back his or her head, extend out his or her arms and legs, cry, then pull the arms and legs back in.

Choice A is wrong because placing the newborn on their abdomen and observing the movement of their extremities will not trigger the Moro reflex.

This position may elicit other reflexes such as the crawling reflex or the tonic neck reflex.

Choice B is wrong because stroking the newborn’s cheek toward their mouth will not trigger the Moro reflex. This action will elicit the rooting reflex, which helps the baby find the breast or bottle to start feeding.

Choice C is wrong because stroking upward on the lateral aspect of the newborn’s foot will not trigger the Moro reflex. This action will elicit the Babinski reflex, which causes the big toe to extend upward and the other toes to fan out.