Condom Catheter Crisis

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Specializes in Telemetry, Med-Surg, ED, Psych.

Had a patient last night who required the condom catheter to be changed. While in the process of rolling the new catheter on, the patient began to get an erection....this has never happened to me in all my 7 years or so in healthcare. Naturally I was embarresed for the patient and myself. What do you do in a situation like this? Do you apologize to the patient?

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Specializes in ER/OR.

Whats with all these erection stories on allnurses all of a sudden?? It must be summer love...

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

You do the job and you cover him up and you move on. What's so difficult about that?

No you don't apologize. "I'm so sorry for giving you an erection." wouldn't sound right.

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An erection is gross by all means but so is changing a dirty diaper. It's natural. Why is everyone so conscious about erections? They happen. Most guys know they happen for no reason and in the most inappropriate times no matter how hard you try to stop it. You just ignore it.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Agree. You just do your job. Period.

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

You finish, pull up the blanket, and move on. No comment.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatric, Behavioral Health.

I agree...no big deal.

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Specializes in Multiple.

Look at it this way, it was probably a lot easier to roll on the condom. I agree with the others. Stuff like that happens so you just act professional, finnish the job and move on.

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this is hilarious, because I had an incident with this just today! i was helping a new nurse (weird, because i am still new) straight cath a quadraplegic. he can't move his extremeties for anything. the "new" nurse cleanses, straight caths, takes it back out. (she was holding the member the entire time). i say "ok, you can't put it (the member) back down now"... she says "I can't right now". i had no idea what she was talking about until she let go, and well, it wasn't going to come down anytime soon. so we just covered him up and left.

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Specializes in Day program consultant DD/MR.

I agree just place the condom cath and go about your business. If they bring it up then tell them its a natural reaction. If you get embarrassed then the pt will also. They are entitled to thier dignity.

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Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).

At least it was an external, rather than an internal catheter. Had to place a Foley, once, after his female nurse had tried unsuccessfully. Yet another advantage to being a male nurse, although by the time I was finished, he was beginning to react all over again. But fair is fair--I've had to enlist female help with female pts from time to time, although not for the same reason.

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Specializes in district nurse, ccu, geriatric.
At least it was an external, rather than an internal catheter. Had to place a Foley, once, after his female nurse had tried unsuccessfully. Yet another advantage to being a male nurse, although by the time I was finished, he was beginning to react all over again.

Sounds like the female nurse needs some advice from certain Army nurses. :selfbonk:

I apologise in advance.

:imdbb: :wink2:

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