Feeling a bit down

BloomNurseRN, ASN, BSN, RN · Mar 9, 2015

Stop beating yourself up. The female anatomy is sometimes ridiculously complicated. I recently attempted a Foley catheter on a patient and it went in to the lady parts instead of the urinary meatus. I got another catheter, a third set of hands, and we got the catheter anchored. It takes time, practice, and sometimes lots of help. Don't feel bad and take it as a learning experience. Good luck!

Ndoht, BSN, RN · Mar 9, 2015

It's the right kind of mistakes to make during nursing school. It's the right time to make these kind of mistakes.

loriangel14, RN · Mar 9, 2015

Years later I still get it in the wrong hole once in a while. Don't sweat it.

caseyuptonurse · Mar 9, 2015

I wouldn't sweat it. I straight cath patients every shift and I still end up going into the lady parts sometimes. It takes practice. The female anatomy looks different on every female down there. Some will look like a diagram or even like the sim models but some you just look and hope that it's the right hole. Another tip is to aim the catheter upward when going in the perineal area because usually you will end up in the urethra rather than the lady parts.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Mar 9, 2015

Don't feel bad. It was a mistake I'm sure thousands of others have made. I said even though I'm a woman, I'm not very familiar with my lady bit parts. Lol. I don't look down there. Unless you have a mirror it's pretty much impossible to do. I know the male anatomy, but not really the female. You will get it, I promise. And I agree the sim lab mannequins are not even close.

BiotoBSNtoFNP · Mar 10, 2015

This happens, especially since females can have very different anatomy! You did the right thing by getting another catheter and restarting instead of trying to reinsert the first one (seen it done! On more than one occasion!!! Ah!! ). Think of this as an extra chance to practice prepping the sterile field and kit since you had to do it with a second one!

Leonardsmom,LPN · Mar 10, 2015

Agree with what others have said, don't beat your self up over this. I have seen experienced nurses that have been doing this for years get the wrong hole it happens. I have even seen female patients who have been self-cathing for years miss the mark.

TheNGTKingRN · Mar 10, 2015

It's the right kind of mistakes to make during nursing school. It's the right time to make these kind of mistakes.

Lol I'm an RN and still miss.

It's seriously a mistake many nurses make.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Mar 10, 2015

I haven't read the replies, but I'm sure you've been told this--this is nothing to beat yourself up over! Some women are just difficult to cath. A few years back I had one whose privy parts had what looked like a meatus, and I ended up putting the catheter there. Obviously couldn't advance it, so then realized it was her privy parts. I missed a couple more times, and when I finally got it, the pt was even saying, "No, that's my lady parts, that's my lady parts!" Then I saw the urine.

Another lady, took a good 8x before we figured out that her urethral meatus was INSIDE her lady parts.

It happens. Real women are not built like the skills lab mannequin with two nice neat orifices. You did nothing wrong.

RachRN11 · Mar 10, 2015

When I was a student, I once "wasted" 3 catheters on the same patient because I kept hitting the wrong hole. Don't sweat it, nursing takes practice and you'll get there :)

lizgodawgs · Mar 10, 2015

Please don't feel down. It happens to most of us and will happen as an experienced nurse once or twice every now and then. Every woman looks different down there so don't expect it to be easy every time.