When did you start your first Foley?

[Pecked2DthByChickens]

Just wondering what semester you were in when you actually did a cath on an actual patient.

I am in 1st semester and and the only one in my clinical group to have attempted one...things did not go well, the cath didn't go in, and the RN couldn't get it in either. Anyway, I at least gave it a shot...and I hope to get one in during my last clinical after the Thanksgiving break.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

I started my first foley in the beginning of our 3rd set of 5 clinicals. Which is the 1/2 mark for our 16 month program.

It was a female, with a very odd anatomy! A very difficult foley for all of the students AND our clinical instructors..until you learned her anatomy, then it was a cake walk. All the staff nurses and our clinical instructors commented that they had never seen such an odd anatomy.

[AuntieRN]

It was my second to last clinical my last semester in nursing school on a woman in labor. Luckily I worked as a tech during school in the ER and put in lots of foleys. Its true, I work with new grads and actually a nurse who has been a nurse for over a year who still have not put in foleys.

[*Blessed2BaNRS*]

My very 1st clinical day in 1st semester! Pt had a broken pelvis, which made it a very difficult try, but I got it in 1st attempt! Unfortunately, I broke sterile field before even attempting, so I had to start over on that part, but the actual procedure went very smoothly!

[MB37]

I did my first straight cath last week, on a woman who was supposed to be difficult to do one on. I thought it was really easy, but the hole was where it was supposed to be. It was the last clinical day of our first semester at the hospital.

[S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN]

2nd semester, two of us students on a happily confused old man. Thankfully the teacher reviewed the procedure with us in the utility room, then sent us in to attempt it on our own. She stood outside the doorway in case we needed help. We succeeded, and it was so nice to NOT have the teacher staring down at us through the whole thing.

[Rexie68]

I'm an RN student, but have been an LPN for a while. We inserted foley's by the second month of LPN school.....and month 3 of RN school. It's kind of surprising that you don't get many opportunities....OMG, I must have done over 500 caths (straight and/or foley....the only difference is the balloon!) throughout my career....and would be happy to give someone else a chance!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Just wondering what semester you were in when you actually did a cath on an actual patient.

I, and the vast majority of my classmates, never catheterized any patients during clinical rotations. After all, the opportunity never arose, and my school considered this skill to be "optional." The first time I ever inserted a cath was when I was already licensed and working at the same facility for 8 months.

[mbfoster]

I just put one in on Wednesday my first semester :) took me three Foley kits I had an elderly nursing home patient that wouldn't unglue her legs. but third time was the charm. I think my clinical instructor was more nervous than I was

[KungFuFtr]

I'm almost done with my second semester and I d/c 1 foley and had to defer two insertions...I'm a guy and I'm forbidden to perform "under the sheet care" in L/D.

[Pecked2DthByChickens]

I am going to ask my instructor this Thursday (our last clinical of first semester) to find me a cath patient! I need to feel that I accomplished something by the end of this!! I was totally traumatized by that last cat attempt. It just didn't feel right being in that vicinity of a patient - yea know. But i must conquer the unknown!

[BeccaznRN, RN]

I only started one foley in school, and that was during my senior preceptorship in the OR. I started foleys when I worked as a tech in school though - I did way more clinical skills working as a tech than I ever did during clinical time.

[NeoNurseTX, RN]

did two in the same day first semester :)