apparently, peri care is optional

[Art_Vandelay]

On our unit, CNAs straight cath patients. Initially this didn't bother me. However, recently I was changing my patient's foley bag and then asked if I could clean his member. He looked at me like I had lost my mind. I told him the CNA should be cleaning the member/cath when they change your foley bag to prevent infection. He said they never had/do. Thus, CNAs performing sterile procedure but failing to perform routine foley cath care. Reassuring. Am I missing something?

[leslie :-D]

in my experience, peri care has been extremely problematic.

most of the cna's are not american, and when i've talked with them, pointing out the grunge on the catheter, they shake their heads no, stating nurse does that.

i sensed it wasn't laziness but maybe a cultural thing?

i do all pericare (for those w/caths).

it nauseates me to see dried feces around meatus...God knows how it gets there, but it's definitely there.

leslie

[DizzyLizzyNurse]

a foley changed q3d????

never heard of it.

once a foley is placed, it stays there til malfunction or discharge/death.

w/long term pt, it'd be q28d.

leslie

In the LTC place I used to work, we changed them Qmonth.

[Art_Vandelay]

No need to get all upset, it sounds like an education issue for your CNAs. Just send out an email or put a notice in their mailbox, or however you communicate with them, reminding them that peri-care is required post-cath.

Unless you trained the CNAs personally and you know they were taught correctly, they may be just doing things the way they were trained.

If that doesn't work, approach the individual CNAs and remind them. If that still doesn't work, then the appropriate disciplinary technique should be used.

For clarification, I was referring to the requirement for daily foley cath care for indwelling foley catheters, not post straight cath care or post foley insertion.

Thanks for your imput.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

We no longer routinely change catheters. If it's patent and not icky (technical term) we leave them be.