RNOH Urinary Catheterisation Guideline - Adults

Urinary Catheterisation is an intervention to enable bladder emptying by insertion of a catheter. Urinary catheterisation is a frequent intervention during clinical care in hospital affecting a significant number of patients at any one time.
The purpose of this guideline is to outline:
• Expected standards in the insertion, ongoing care and removal of urinary catheters
• The process for patient involvement and education
• Staff education, training and assessment of competence
• The audit process
A patient’s urinary care is interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary. This policy is therefore intended for use by all healthcare professionals to include nurses, doctors, allied health care professionals and health care assistants.

Catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) is the most common nosocomial infection in hospitals (EPIC 3 guidelines 2017) with urinary tract infections accounting for up to 19% of hospital acquired infections (Smyth 2006). Therefore, indwelling urethral catheters should only be inserted after considering alternative methods of management. A full assessment of the individual and their needs must be carried out before the catheterisation and this must be documented in the patient’s medical and nursing records. Catheterisation of patients who are agitated or cognitively impaired is best avoided where possible.