Inserting Indwelling Catheter with No Foley Kit

[1luvJesus]

Hello! I am new to allnurses and am looking for some insight. Where I work doesn't supply Foley kits, just the supplies for the catheters. So the other RNs use the sterile gloves as their sterile field. They open the gloves, then drop the catheter onto the field (which is really hard because it barely fits), but the thing that concerns me is they open the betadine and lay the handles of the swabs on the edge of their sterile field. I've asked the other RNs about it and people don't ever give me a clear answer. What is a way to do this without breaking the sterile field?? I've thought about opening betadine swabs and placing the package in a clean urine cup near the field but not touching it so I can just grab the swabs... Hoping for suggestions. Having someone there to hand me the swabs isn't an option. It's just a few nurses on a busy floor and they just tell you to do it yourself.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

On 1/11/2020 at 6:24 PM, K+MgSO4 said:

Do a cost analysis of how much these work arounds are costing compared to the cost of a foley pack. Including nursing time hunting for supplies and your CAUTI rates including increased LOS, IV antibiotics, IVs needing to be inserted etc.

My infection control team would have a field day with this situation....

LTC nurse and infection control preventionalist here.....

I agree! The waste of opening up other items to make it work isn't effective and is very risky. I help with ordering supplies. Most of our items can be ordered by the case or per item.

[JKL33]

I don't disagree with the sentiments ^ at all, but think about it: In a place where people are knowingly left trying to cobble things together for a sterile procedure known to be associated with increased risks and healthcare costs, we are already way past the point of anyone caring what the employees have to say about the employer's ordering choices. This is one of those on-the-ground issues that someone is left alone to deal with in real time during a harried shift.

The on-duty worker is likely not privy to (and doesn't have time to collect, anyway) the information that would be necessary for a proper full-on cost analysis.