Tube Feeding

Is this course suitable for you or your organisation?

This course is available:

for Cerebral Palsy Alliance employees only.

Why choose this course?

This course is recommended for disability support practitioners, allied health professionals, nurses and others who assist clients with the delivery of nutrition and /or medication via a gastrostomy or jejunostomy tube.

For Cerebral Palsy Alliance Employees

At Cerebral Palsy Alliance this is a compulsory activity for all employees who assist clients with the delivery of nutrition and /or medication via a gastrostomy and/or jejunostomy.
Prerequisites - Cerebral Palsy Alliance employees must have completed the online modules for Assist with medication and Infection prevention and control, read the Medication policy (NS6-5-4) and infection control policy (NS6-5-2) as well as the enteral nutrition information in the Client health support procedure (NS6-5-1-Pr1). You must also have attended the Practical skills workshop for disability support practitioners and managers.
In addition to this course and practical simulated workplace scenario, employees are also required to be assessed in the workplace within one month of this course, by a CPA clinical nurse specialist.
Cerebral Palsy Alliance employees are exempt from the course fee.

What content does the course cover?

This course provides learners with the essential knowledge, skills and practical training required to safely and effectively assist clients with prescribed nutrition and medications delivered via a gastrostomy and/or jejunostomy. The content of this course enables you to:

Illustrate the basic anatomy & physiology of the digestive system
Describe common feeding tubes
Define enteral nutrition, its rationale and goals
Compare three (3) different delivery methods
Outline your role & responsibilities in relation to enteral nutrition & tube feeding
Complete these practical activities:

1.   The safe delivery of prescribed water flushed, liquid medication and enteral nutrition formula via a gastrostomy tube using the bolos method
2.   Prime an intermittent gravity feed bag and tubing
3.   Prime and program a continuous tube feeding infusion pump
4.   Solve potential feeding tube problems

Does the program have any prerequisites?

It is important that participants have current Medication training prior to attending the course. If participants have not had prior Medication training, their Certificate of Attendance will make clear that they are not endorsed to administer medication via the tube. It is our strong recommendation that staff providing tube feeding should have medication training and first aid training that is refreshed annually.

Course completion requires:

Participants to actively engage in class discussion and a simulated practical experience. Participants’ knowledge and practical skills in administering medications and feeds via a gastrostomy and/or jejunostomy tube are concept assessed during the simulated workplace scenario component of the course.