Nurses’ practice, knowledge, and attitudes in medication administration via enteral feeding tubes: A pharmacist-led educational intervention in Vietnam

Context: Improper administration of medications via the enteral route can lead to complications such as tube occlusion, reduced drug efficacy, increased toxicity, prolonged hospitalization, and higher healthcare costs. Aims: To assess nurses’ practices and evaluate the impact of a pharmacist-led educational intervention on nurses’ knowledge and attitudes regarding medication administration through enteral feeding tubes (EFTs). Methods: A pre-/post-interventional study was conducted at a large hospital in Vietnam. A 29-item questionnaire was used, comprising 10 items on practice, 12 on knowledge, and 7 on attitude. The intervention consisted of a 2-hour in-person training session including presentations and discussions, delivered by clinical pharmacists. Results: A total of 365 ward nurses participated. Ninety-five percent of nurses reported that they did not receive any training on medication administration through EFTs previously. The mean total knowledge score increased significantly from 5.44 ± 4.81 to 10.49 ± 1.41 (p<0.001). Only 18.6% responded that they crushed different medications separately and flushed the tube between each administration when multiple medications were used simultaneously. Problems related to drug administration via EFTs were tube occlusion (44.4%) and drug incompatibility (22.5%). The proportion of nurses who were confident in their knowledge and practice related to medication administration through EFTs increased by 45.4% and 43.6%, respectively (p<0.001) after the pharmacist intervention. After the intervention, the percentage of nurses who identified clinical pharmacists as the first people to ask questions about drug administration via EFTs significantly increased (from 7.7% to 55.6%, p<0.001). Conclusions: A pharmacist-led educational intervention significantly improved nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and confidence regarding the administration of medication via enteral feeding tubes.