Final answer:
The nurse should check for tube displacement and d. elevate the head of the bed when a patient develops diarrhea while receiving a continuous enteral tube feeding.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse should check for tube displacement as one of the first actions when a patient develops diarrhea while receiving a continuous enteral tube feeding. This is because tube displacement can cause the formula to be delivered to the wrong location in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to diarrhea.
Elevating the head of the bed can also be an appropriate intervention as it helps prevent aspiration and reflux, which can contribute to diarrhea. Additionally, it's important to ensure that the enteral feeding rate is appropriate. Increasing the feeding rate may overload the patient's gastrointestinal system and worsen the diarrhea.