ATI Nutrition Practice Questions Related

Review ATI Nutrition Practice Questions related questions and content

The nurse is working with a patient who recently had a stroke. The patient frequently chokes and coughs when eating and is having difficulty feeding herself. What is the best way to ensure adequate nutrition?

  • A. to have an aide feed her at each meal
  • B. to ask a family member to assist during meals
  • C. to provide tube feedings for the patient
  • D. to initiate TPN for the patient
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The best way to ensure adequate nutrition for a stroke patient who frequently chokes and coughs when eating and has difficulty feeding herself is to provide tube feedings. Tube feedings are a safe and effective method to deliver nutrition directly to the stomach or intestines, bypassing the swallowing mechanism, reducing the risk of aspiration. Having an aide feed her each meal (choice A) may not address the underlying issue of swallowing difficulty and aspiration risk. Asking a family member to be present at each meal (choice B) does not provide a definitive solution to the patient's nutritional needs. Placing the patient on total parenteral nutrition (TPN) (choice D) is a more invasive and typically reserved for patients who cannot tolerate enteral feedings or have non-functional gastrointestinal tracts.