Using a 62-item investigator-developed mailed questionnaire, this descriptive study of 350 randomly selected staff nurses sought to identify variations in practices in the care of patients with nasogastric tubes. Reported here are the results on the 15 questionnaire items related to the use of nasogastric tubes for gastric decompression. Results show that practice is not always consistent with published research; additionally, there are areas of practice for which no research was found. Subjects' responses by age, education, and amount of experience showed marked frequency variations on several items, as did employment in teaching versus community hospitals. Results have implications for nursing educators in clinical agencies and nursing schools.
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