Catheter Advice!!!

[LDR-RN]

Does anyone have any catheter placement tips? I know sometimes the meatus is easy to see, and it just slips right in, and then other times it's like "are we sure there is one"? I didn't know if anyone had any tips that really seem to work for them.

[heavenlynnc]

I gotta get checked off on this in lab next week and one of our clinical instructors also mentioned the "wink." She said she has never seen it but I was curious as to whether or not it was true, guess it depends on the pt?!

[FemmeRN]

In post partum women, at least, I've found that the key to finding the meatus is really just getting the vulvar/labial tissue out of the way.

For me, the best way to do this is to pinch the thumb and index finger of my "dirty hand" together, and then place the palm of that hand on top of the pubic bone, with the thumb and index finger pointing down. Open the thumb and index finger, spreading the labia wide apart, and then pull gently but firmly back (towards her head) with your whole hand.

With larger women and/or women with a lot of swelling, it can be difficult to hold all the tissue back. But, for me at least, just creating a taut, open area where you can actually see what you're shooting for makes all the difference in the world.

[heavenlynnc]

Thanks Femme...sounds like a good tip!