A nurse is preparing to administer medication to a child through an enteral tube. Which of the following actions should the nurse take after administering the medication?

A. Flush the tubing: Flushing the enteral tube with water after medication administration clears residual medication from the tubing, prevents clogging, and ensures the full dose reaches the stomach or intestine. This practice also maintains tube patency and reduces the risk of interactions between different medications or feedings. B. Clamp the tubing: Clamping is used to stop flow temporarily, but it is not the first action after medication administration. Flushing the tube should be done before clamping to ensure that medication is delivered completely. C. Check patency of the tubing: Patency should be assessed before administering medication, not afterward. Checking afterward does not ensure that the medication was fully delivered, whereas flushing confirms passage through the tube. D. Aspirate the tubing: Aspiration is typically performed prior to medication or feeding to check placement or residual volume. Performing it after administration is unnecessary for routine medication delivery and does not ensure proper dosing or prevent clogging.