A nurse is caring for a client in the hospital setting who is receiving enteral feeding via NG tube, which action should the nurse complete prior to administering feeding?

a) Auscultate breath sounds: While auscultating breath sounds may reveal signs of aspiration (e.g., crackles), stopping the feedings is the immediate priority to prevent further aspiration and reduce the risk of complications like aspiration pneumonia.

b) Stop the feedings: The highest priority is to stop the enteral feedings immediately to prevent further aspiration and potential damage to the lungs, followed by further assessments.

c) Obtain a chest x-ray: A chest x-ray can confirm the presence of aspiration or pneumonia but is not the immediate priority. Stopping the feedings is more urgent.

d) Initiate antibiotic therapy: Antibiotics may be needed if aspiration pneumonia is suspected, but they should not be the first intervention. Stopping the feedings and assessing the patient should be done first.

a) Mixing the specimen with developer prior to sending to the lab: The nurse is not responsible for mixing stool specimens with developer unless specified by a particular test protocol. The nurse typically sends the specimen as is.

b) Asking the patient to call the nursing station when the stool specimen has been collected: While the nurse may inform the patient of the need to call once the specimen is collected, the nurse is ultimately responsible for managing the collection process, not just the patient’s communication.

c) Leaving this responsibility for the oncoming nurse: The nurse is responsible for collecting and handling specimens according to the facility's procedures. The oncoming nurse would take over once the current nurse's shift ends, but the specimen collection should be completed during the current shift.

d) Obtaining the specimen according to facility procedure: The nurse is responsible for obtaining stool specimens following the specific procedures set by the facility to ensure proper collection and handling for accurate results.