Best time to remove an Indwelling catheter.

Specialties Rehabilitation

Published

Just wondering what the best time is to remove an indwelling catheter? We currently take them out at 06:00 hrs. Just wondering what other people do?

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Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

Midnight is our standard so that if they run into retention issues it is day time, day light with more people about. However it has taken us 10 years to convince a particularly stubborn urologist thst the night shift urology nurses know how to TOV someone. Mind you I still need to convince a breast surgeon that a mastectomy pt can be discharged without an occupational therapist consult.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Yep we do ours first thing in the morning so if they don't void by lunch time then there is plenty of time to get an order for whatever the doc wants done.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

It also gives the pt one last chance to have some opportunity for some uninterrupted sleep.

This is a pet peeve of mine in that I realize that yes, pts are in an institution and there will be interruptions to be expected r/t to care issues. But night time IS meant for SLEEP time. And if there's some way to preserve some extended time for some uninterrupted sleep, that's my goal.

People wonder why pts are so groggy and pooped out in the morning ... hey, they've been awakened for all sorts of things and noises during the night.

So that foley gets pulled in the am.

Sorry for my vent.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

For routine orders to discontinue a foley, we have specific instructions included to not remove between 22:00-06:00. Night shift removes them just prior to day shift arriving (06:30). It makes the most sense. Patients do need to sleep... Which isn't easy in the hospital setting in general. If they have problems after a night time foley removal then they aren't going to be able to get the rest that they need. Removing them in the morning gives day shift plenty of opportunity to assess and make sure that the patient is voiding appropriately, or of the patient isn't, then they can notify the physician for further interventions.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

We pull ours at 630AM....the orders are "remove foley catheter at 630AM. Due to void in 8 hours. If no void, scan bladder. If more than______ml, reinsert foley and call MD." Each doc has a different idea for how many mls are too many.

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The past few placed I worked we pulled them at the end of the night shift any time after 0600. Doesn't interrupt sleep too badly, plenty of time left during the day for us to monitor voiding / intervene if there's any urinary retention, etc.

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