Catheterization problems

[Nightingale11]

I had a checkoff on Thursday...........we had Tuesday and Wednesday to practice and then checkoff was Thursday. Needless to say, over half the class failed, including myself. Does anyone have any tips for doing caths on male/female "dummies"?

My nerves get me..................also, I'm left handed!!! ugh

[NurseKitten, MSN, RN]

I'm left handed too...set up your sterile field where you can't contaminate. Ask for extra sterile drapes if you have to. Make it large enough where you can lay whatever you need out, along with a spare set of sterile gloves.

The key to being successful in a procedure is being set up and having everything prepared. Holds true for catheterizations, IV's, dressing changes, etc.

Good luck. :)

[gillytook]

Practise and figure out which side of the dummie works for you. I am right handed so I stand with my left hand toward the patient's head because it is the hand I am going to contaminate when I go to insert the catheter. My right hand is toward the patient's feet, closest to my sterile field which I set up between the patient's legs. Trying reversing it for you with your right hand toward the patient's head. Also I lay a sterile drape on the patient's thigh farthest from me. That way if I have to steady my sterile hand against the thigh, it won't get contaminated. It has saved my butt in a few check-offs.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

practice. over and over and over and over and over and over. . .get the idea. think of check off as a performance. memorize everything you have to do and treat it like you are giving a performance. actors memorize and know every exact move and physical motion they are going to make with their body (it's called blocking) because they do it over and over and over and over and over in rehearsals before they ever perform it in front of an audience. if you have ever seen outtakes of movies or tv shows you know what i am talking about because the words and actions of the actors are always the same (except for them breaking up and, thus, the outtake). you have to do the same until you can do the procedure blindfolded and in your sleep. being left-handed has nothing to do with it. it just means you'll be using your left hand as the dominant hand in holding and working with the equipment. this is a sterile procedure. what is important is not breaking the sterile field as well as doing the steps in the correct sequence.

if you need to see videos of urinary catheterizations. . .go to post #20 on this sticky thread: https://allnurses.com/nursing-student-assistance/any-good-iv-127657.html - any good iv therapy or nursing procedure web sites