Community & Health Services
All You Need To Know About PEG Feeding
6 February 2023
What is PEG Feeding and how can it increase your employability?
PEG Feeding training is an essential training course for healthcare personnel and social care workers responsible for providing care and support to patients with a PEG feeding tube.
Training will involve learning how to insert the PEG feeding tube, care for the tube, administer hydration and nutrition through the tube, and monitor the person’s condition.
What is PEG Feeding?
PEG feeding, or Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastronomy, is a procedure in which a flexible feeding tube is inserted through the abdominal wall. PEG feeding tube allows patients to receive nutrition, medications, and fluids directly into the stomach, bypassing the oesophagus and mouth.
People with a condition that makes it impossible to drink or eat, people recovering from surgery, or those who have had procedures that affect their ability to swallow can benefit from PEG tubes. The tube is implanted into the stomach to provide the necessary nutrients to the body and maintain the person’s overall health.
It can be a more reliable, convenient, comfortable, and discrete alternative to other feeding methods, such as intravenous feeding, nasogastric tube, and Nasojejunal Tube (NJT).
Importance of PEG feeding in the healthcare industry
PEG feeding is an integral part of medical care for patients with dysphagia (a condition in which a person experiences difficulty swallowing) due to various conditions. The causes of dysphagia may include:
- Stroke
- Head injury
- Head or neck cancer
- Dementia
- Multiple sclerosis
- Chronic appetite loss
A PEG feeding tube may also be required if a person has a condition that can interfere with the body’s ability to process nutrition. Inserting a PEG feeding tube in a patient’s stomach allows healthcare professionals to maintain overall health by providing sufficient nutrients and medications. In-home care settings, it is an easy and reliable method of feeding patients.
An overview of the PEG Feeding Training
The PEG feeding training course helps familiarise students with PEG feeding. It is designed specifically for healthcare workers who provide nutrition, fluids, and/or medications through PEG tubes to patients with these tubes.
The training helps you gain the knowledge and skills required to support people with PEG feeding tubes, provide feeding, assist in managing the PEG tube, continuously monitor their condition and adjust the hydration and nutrition as required.
The training course is usually delivered in a classroom and includes theory, practical, and knowledge tests to check competency.
What does a PEG feeding training course include?
A PEG feeding training course will include the following:
- What is PEG?
- Why is a PEG feeding tube inserted?
- How is a PEG tube managed?
- Feeding regimes
- How to manage the PEG feeding tube and the gastrostomy site?
- How to administer nutrition, fluids, and medications?
- Identifying and addressing common problems associated with the PEG feeding tube
- How to monitor the overall health and adjust hydration and nutrition?
Benefits of PEG feeding training
The PEG feeding training is helpful for the support provider and the person receiving PEG feeding. Some potential benefits of PEG feeding training include:
The training can help healthcare workers gain the skill and expertise required to provide care to patients with PEG tubes. It helps in thoroughly understanding the PEG feeding tube and how to administer the feed. They can provide support and care safely and effectively with the proper knowledge.
With a strong understanding of the PEG feeding tube, the carer can provide better support to individuals with PEG tubes. This will include closely monitoring the PEG feeding, identifying and managing problems associated with the tube, addressing questions or concerns of the patient, and adjusting hydration and nutrition as needed.
PEG feeding training can help healthcare workers provide high-quality care and support, allowing them enjoy an improved quality of life, thereby increasing patient satisfaction.
Proper PEG feeding training can help carers ensure that the feeding process is followed safely and efficiently, reducing the risk of complications such as wound infection, bleeding, necrotising fasciitis, or dislodging of the tube.
Gaining training in PEG feeding may enhance job prospects and career advancement opportunities for healthcare providers and caregivers. This is because PEG feeding is a specialised skill that is only sometimes taught in basic healthcare training programs. By gaining knowledge and skills in PEG feeding, healthcare providers and caregivers can differentiate themselves in the job market and potentially increase their value to employers.
In addition, you may also be responsible for providing education and support to the patient and their family member or caregiver.
Getting a job in the community services or healthcare industry in Australia requires a complete understanding of PEG feeding techniques, procedures, and protocols for caring for patients with PEG feeding tubes.
PEG feeding workshop by DP Training can help you develop the knowledge and skills required to provide support and care to the person with a feeding tube. We have designed this workshop to help you gain the knowledge and skills you need to support people who have a PEG tube and need to feed through it.
We organise regular PEG feeding workshops from our training locations in Brisbane and Gold Coast.
Click here to learn more about our training schedule and enrol yourself in the PEG feeding training workshop as per your schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is PEG feeding training required to work in the healthcare field in Australia?
PEG training provides the comprehensive knowledge necessary to maintain the PEG tube and assist people with PEG feeding. While the training is not required to work in the healthcare field in Australia, it is an essential qualification to support individuals who require PEG feeding.
2. How can PEG feeding training enhance my job prospects in Australia?
Training in PEG feeding can make you a more competitive candidate for specific job roles in healthcare, especially those requiring working with individuals with PEG feeding tubes. By obtaining training in PEG feeding, you can increase your employability in the healthcare field in Australia and enhance your job prospects.
3. Who should consider taking PEG feeding training?
PEG feeding training is a specialised course that may interest healthcare professionals like doctors, nurses, and paramedics involved in caring for and supporting patients with PEG feeding tubes.