Continence and Catheter Care

The eLearning for Excellence in Continence and Catheter Care programme consists of two sessions: Promoting Best Practice in Continence Care and Promoting Best Practice in Catheter Care. Together, these sessions introduce the anatomy and physiology of the lower urinary tract, the factors that support continence, and the main types of urinary incontinence. Learners explore evidence-based treatments and techniques that help individuals maintain or regain continence, alongside best practice approaches for safe catheter care. While there are no prerequisites and the sessions may be completed in any order, the learning is designed to complement face-to-face catheterisation training.

This programme is aimed at nursing staff and healthcare assistants across all care settings. It supports staff to recognise people at risk of incontinence, deliver interventions that maintain dignity and independence, and provide safe, high-quality care for patients who require catheterisation.

Across the programme, learners gain an understanding of normal bladder function, the mechanisms that maintain continence, and the causes and presentations of incontinence. They will examine conservative and therapeutic management options and build confidence in supporting patients experiencing continence challenges. The second session focuses on promoting best practice in catheter care, emphasising the importance of reducing unnecessary catheterisations and ensuring that catheter insertion—when unavoidable—is performed using correct aseptic technique. Learners will explore the principles of safe catheter maintenance, including reducing the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), timely removal of catheters that are no longer needed, and the role of accurate documentation and communication with the wider healthcare team. The learning objectives across the programme include recognising avoidable catheter use, applying infection-prevention strategies, identifying early signs of CAUTI, and supporting consistent, evidence-based clinical decision-making.

High-quality continence and catheter care are essential to patient safety and wellbeing. Urinary incontinence can have a profound impact on quality of life, often contributing to social isolation and declines in physical and mental health. Poor continence care can worsen these effects, while unnecessary catheterisation increases the risk of CAUTI—an avoidable harm linked to sepsis, bacteraemia, longer hospital stays and additional NHS costs. This programme addresses these needs by strengthening knowledge, supporting better clinical practice, and helping reduce preventable harm.

The programme has been developed by Health Innovation Oxford and Thames Valley, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with NHS England eLearning for Healthcare and NHS England South East (Thames Valley). This collaboration ensures that the content reflects national priorities for improving continence care, reducing avoidable catheter use and minimising the incidence of CAUTI across health and care services. For further information, please consult the resources available within the programme catalogue.