Foley Catheters

healthstar, BSN, RN · May 29, 2011

I felt the same way when I started nursing school. I hated catheters, I believed I could do anything but catheters. I was nervous inserting a catheter using a manniquin, imagine a real person. After I got to insert the first foley catheter,believe me it was easier than I thought. Now I can do it with my eyes closed. Believe me, if I can do it so can you. I suck at occupied bed making, I am tiny and it is so hard for me to help the patients change position. ugh.

pilotron57 · Dec 30, 2013

urinary cath are not low on patients list. It is an invasive and undignifying procedure. I was at both ends of the spectrum. Many hospitals are starting to go to consent forms for urinary cath do to the high risk of injuries to the patients.

Pneumothorax, BSN, RN · Dec 31, 2013

urinary cath are not low on patients list. It is an invasive and undignifying procedure. I was at both ends of the spectrum. Many hospitals are starting to go to consent forms for urinary cath do to the high risk of injuries to the patients.

I feel like I'm violating them I had a rather bad experience placing a foley in a little kid. Ugh that was traumatizing

funtimes · Dec 31, 2013

I wasn't very keen on cathing people either. While orienting as a tech my very first cath was a supervised straight cath done on a totally alert and oriented 23 year old female paraplegic(im a male), with the patient's mother(who was an MD) standing nearby, after having seen exactly one cath performed, which was pretty much the extent of my training at the time. In fact the one cath I saw previous was also my sole introduction to setting up a sterile field and performing a sterile procedure. Fortunately I managed to mimic what I'd seen and do it successfully in a serviceably sterile manner, but I was pretty angry with the preceptor for putting me(and the patient) in that situation.

Having said that, as a Nursing student you will have the luxury of having things like this explained in detail and having to practice it repeatedly in a lab before having to do it on a real patient.

ken1955 · Sep 27, 2015

I just read a story on here and it made me sick. First of all I worked in a nursing home for 5 years as a orderly and 1 year as a ward secretary. I helped the nurses do many thing. The story was about a women in the home that the doctor ordered a straight cat sample. She told them no that she would rather pee in a cup. They told her no she had to do it because the doctor ordered it. She still said no. 5 nurses held her down and forced her to have this catheter put in her. That is abuse. The nurse said she was confused. I think she new more that they new. To me a sample is a sample if you get the first urine in the cup that should be good. The trauma that that women was put through was not worth it. I had something like that happen to me last year in the hospital. I do not pee on demand and was ask for a sample I peed before I got to the hospital. That what I told the doctor. He walked out and said we will see. Within 10 minutes 2 nurses came in to the room never said a word to me took my pants off and forced a catheter in me ( only one pants leg was off ). I saw no kit, no cleaning or no gel and it hurt like hell never got it in and he try 2 times. I had blood on my gown and I was in pain. When I was taken to my room. 3 nurses try again even when I said no. Where are our rights. I was told I had sepsis. I peed a hour after I got into my room no infection in the urine. Well that well never happen to me again. I went to a lawyer and had paper done that they cannot catheter me without my permission. I have them with me at all times. Also I ware a wrist band that says the same thing. My kids know how I feel and will fello0w what I wish....Please nurses there is enough trauma in this world. Be kind to your patients and if they say no try another was........Ken

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Sep 27, 2015

...a women in the home that the doctor ordered a straight cat sample. She told them no that she would rather pee in a cup. They told her no she had to do it because the doctor ordered it. She still said no. 5 nurses held her down and forced her to have this catheter put in her. That is abuse. The nurse said she was confused. I think she new more that they new. To me a sample is a sample if you get the first urine in the cup that should be good. The trauma that that women was put through was not worth it.

If it was as simple as that, then it smells like abuse. But not all samples are the same. She may have had previously contaminated specimens, and the MD may have needed to assure a clean specimen prior to dx and tx. If the resident was confused, believe me the story makes sense from that perspective. A story from a reasonable perspective doesn't sell or get repeated, but sensationalism does. None of us were there, so we don't know what happened. I wouldn't presume to judge until I knew all of the facts

ken1955 · Sep 27, 2015

RNinIN.. Thank you for the reply Yes we were not there but this story was being told by a young nurse...As far as the women being confused she know enough to say see would pee in a cup for the sample. I think she know what was going on. I also know they said they had a lot of trouble getting it in the right place. And 5 nurses held her down I feel for her. But life goes on Live and learn Ken

springchick1, ADN, RN · Sep 27, 2015

RNinIN.. Thank you for the reply Yes we were not there but this story was being told by a young nurse...As far as the women being confused she know enough to say see would pee in a cup for the sample. I think she know what was going on. I also know they said they had a lot of trouble getting it in the right place. And 5 nurses held her down I feel for her. But life goes on Live and learn Ken

Your view may also be different because of your experience. All of your post (every singe line of them) are about foleys. I'm sorry you had a bad experience but not all experiences are like that. Like many PP have said, some patients beg to be cathed because they are so uncomfortable.

From reading your post, it sounds like you aren't a nurse, just a patient with a bad experience. Did you know that a UTI in an elderly patient can make them confused? Maybe that's why there was an order to cath the patient in the story you are talking about. You said you THINK she knew what was going on but since none of us were there, we can't really know.

ken1955 · Sep 28, 2015

Spring. Thank you for the reply...Dealing with older patients is stressful sometimes but how confused can she be if she told them she would pee in a cup for them? When I worked in the nursing home 30 year ago the nurses worked with the patients. If they could not get them to do something that they did not like they would call the doctor to see if there was another way. Less upsetting to the patient. As for me my main problem was that they never ask or told me anything. Never got my permission or told me about infections. Having 5 last year I did not need another. Since that time I have had nurses catheter me and have had one for 2 days. They fellowed the procedures. I'm not a unreadable person. I just like knowing what your doing to my body. Nurses to me are very special people. You can be male or female just tell me what your doing and why. In the next few months I will be having a lot of procedures that will be deal with my private area just tell me and it's fine. I have a kidney stone that has to be taking out and a stricture just before the prostate that I am having a balloon dilation done I know after I will have a catheter for a few days. But respect me if I tell you no. Don't hold me down and do it anyway. I am taking day by day. Life goes on and I will remember what he did to me and I remember his face.........

direw0lf, BSN · Sep 28, 2015

Edit...replied to an old thread again *doh*

Karou · Sep 28, 2015

Ken, have you tried talking to a patient advocate and/or supervisors at the hospital where this occurred? This is the second thread you have made referring to the incident that happened with you, it obviously is still bothering you very much. How long ago was it? I forget if you have said.

No nurse that I know would force a catheter to an alert patient who was refusing, period. Confusion is a gray area. Depending on how necessary the catheter is, and how confused the patient is, it can be necessary to proceed even if the patient resists.

Sometimes it is necessary to obtain an in and out urine sample instead of a clean catch/midstream. If a women is menstruating, we usually have to do an in and out because otherwise the UA will show blood (and we need to know if the blood is from the urine or the menses). If there is a fistula present causing stool and urine to mix, we must do an in and out. If a patient is incontinent of urine and/or stool an in and out is necessary to prevent contamination of the sample.

After a sample is taken, it is analyzed and its components are quantified. It cannot be contaminated or results will be inaccurate and the patient could receive the wrong treatment and get sicker. A sample can be rejected for being "dirty" and contaminated with skin cells, requiring an in and out to obtain a clean accurate specimen.

They also usually do a culture to determine what specific organism is causing the infection. That is extremely important to be clean and not contaminated specifically so the correct antibiotic gets prescribed.

Confusion with a patient is difficult. Typically a layperson isn't qualified to assess and determine if a patient is legally able to make their medical decisions or not. I mean no offense, but based off the information you read in that post, you can't make the determination that the patient was alert and able to make decisions for herself. I can't either because I wasn't there.

I understand why you feel violated and wronged by the care that you received. Based only off the story you provided, I agree with you. Again, I don't know of a single nurse who would force a catheter to an alert patient able to make their own medical decisions who was refusing.

ken1955 · Sep 29, 2015

Thank you for your reply. I know it is over but I will never forget it. It was just the idea that I was not giving any information and told why it was being done. I know after the blood test they told me I had sepsis. When the doctor told me that I was scare I had cold chill running 103 fever. I also was on a IV 2000cc. I pee before I came to the hospital. The doctor ask for a sample I don't pee on demand and I did not need to go. He walk out and said will see. About 10 minutes later 2 nurses came in the room. I don't know if he was mad about something or what. I ask what was going on I got no reply He told my son to leave and I ask again. Still no reply. They he told the other nurse to take my pants off. She only had 1 leg off and I was asking again when I felt the catheter go in me. After that I guess that made him madder. He put another one in and was pushing it back and forth yelling do I have a prostate problem I said no I peed before I came. There was also blood on my gown for it I saw it when I was taking to my room when they changed me. After I got out of the hospital I looked up the procedure and it was nothing like they did do me. I was not asked permission told about the procedure or heard the kit open. My son even ask why did they not answer me. I don't know if you read another post but when I was taking to my room 3 female RN try to put a foley in me and I told them NO. They said they did not hear me.. 3 times they did it never got it in. All they had to do is talk to me and I would have said yes. The doctor was trying to see if the infection was in the urine. I pee on my own a hour after I got to my room. I went to my urologist because he whated to see why they could not get a catheter in me. Found out I have a stricture just before the prostate. He said no one would have be able to catheter me. He told me that he would be able to if need be. Which he did when I had a uro-lift done. I am not a mean person I just like to know what is going on with my body and what there doing it for. This happen last year in august. I was in for 6 days and they took blood 43 times to test. All I ask is that all the nurse fellow the procedure they are suppose to fellow. You asked if I talked to someone I did I talk to a women in risk management. She told me I lied and the nurse told her they informed me. This was a letter she wrote to me in March. In December I got my reports from the hospital. There was nothing in it saying that they told me anything. They gave me $600 off my bill to leave it alone. I know life goes on but I worry about if these nurses do it again. Also I told her that there was only 3 people in that room and I know who is telling the truth I have respect for nurses they have a very hard job. I had very good nurses that took care of me. After 2 days I was feeling better so I got up and change my own bed to help them out...I also went home with a port in for 11 Iv's at home the nurse was great Thank you and have a good day