Today I was talking to an agency nurse that frequents my ward about how hard it is sometimes to place a condom catheter properly, especially on older gentlemen!!! She said what she sometimes does is explain to the man (if his member is small in length) it can be easier placed if he makes himself slightly erect, and she would leave the room, and then come back and place it back on.
Now, whilst I was studying nursing, I used to work in a sexual health clinic and when we did urethral swabs of the member it was explained to the man it was more effective and less painful if he was erect at the time, and we left the room and allowed for that to occur, and came back. It was needed.
But for a condom catheter on a ward, is this appropriate? I feel it is not. Thank goodness it's a rare occurrence.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I give all my patients boners because it increases patient satisfaction. TOTALLY KIDDING.
I've heard of nurses getting patients erect (nurse doing the stroking) to place catheters and I believe that is wrong.
Providing the patient with privacy to get himself hard and then coming back to place the catheter? Personally, I would not do it.
I would allow the patient privacy to achieve a woody if he was going to place the condom catheter himself. Can you leave the condom catheter with the patient?
I have never, in 33 years, ever heard nor seen a nurse causing a patient an erection by stimulating the patient herself just to place a catheter. Actually if the patient happens to become erect during the insertion you need to leave the patient in privacy to "relax" as it is near impossible to insert a foley into the bladder of a patient with an erection.
Sometimes I think these member threads are started for the amusement of others like teenage girls giggling at someone by the name of Dick.
I have also never heard of a nurse requesting someone to get partial erection to place a condom cath as most that are in need of that particular device usually are not of the mind or capability of such a physical reaction.
I beg to differ, many moons ago while working 3-11 shift I had one of my colleagues called me to assist her on placing a condom-cath on a particular pt. However, I'm not trying to be funny but this pt. had what it looked like an extra belly button for a member. Needless to say after the entire male/female staff gave their opinion on how to place it and all else failed, :uhoh21: we finally decided to informed the doctor regarding the issue on hand ( no pun intended).
Ah, I didn't realize that even went through! My point was GOING to be that I'm not a prude, bit the whole thing seems better left undone. Way too many ways it could go!
And wow....that's crazy! And it must have been humiliating for the pt...just one of the reasons I can't imagine routinely asking a pt to give himself an erection.
How come? Just because someone is incontinent doesn't mean they cannot get an erection. I have taken care of patients who were incontinent but still able to get an erection. Sometimes it's a physiological response that happens without tactile stimulation. Seen it many times....
Whereas I do understand the physiology.. I meant , usually most men are too ill to wanna try!
I have never, in 33 years, ever heard nor seen a nurse causing a patient an erection by stimulating the patient herself just to place a catheter. Actually if the patient happens to become erect during the insertion you need to leave the patient in privacy to "relax" as it is near impossible to insert a foley into the bladder of a patient with an erection.
Sometimes I think these member threads are started for the amusement of others like teenage girls giggling at someone by the name of Dick.
I have also never heard of a nurse requesting someone to get partial erection to place a condom cath as most that are in need of that particular device usually are not of the mind or capability of such a physical reaction.
am i the only one that is totally blown away by this?
seriously, i am sitting here with my jaw hung open, incredulous that any nurse would find it ok to ask a pt to make himself erect, so s/he can get a condom cath on.
really???
op, i will advise you that it is NEVER EVER EVER ok to ask a pt to do this.
it is totally inappropriate and unprofessional.
don't believe me?
call up your bon and ask them for their input.
i'd bet my last nickel i know what their response would be.
am i the only one that is totally blown away by this?
seriously, i am sitting here with my jaw hung open, incredulous that any nurse would find it ok to ask a pt to make himself erect, so s/he can get a condom cath on.
really???
op, i will advise you that it is NEVER EVER EVER ok to ask a pt to do this.
it is totally inappropriate and unprofessional.
don't believe me?
call up your bon and ask them for their input.
i'd bet my last nickel i know what their response would be.
just...wow.
not, not, NOT ok....ever.
leslie
I'm with you. I can't believe how many people think this is appropriate.
I can see the point (no pun intented) of the nurse who told you it would be easier to get the condom cath on if the member were erect (I will not go any further with that).
However, I cannot even imagine asking a pt to arouse himself for this procedure. If I were a pt and a nurse asked me to do this....uh, what's that word....NO! I cannot even imagine a nurse asking me that. If he/she did, they would come back to see my hiding under the covers.
We have a resident who gets a condom catheter on every morning (key word MORNING) and I don't like it when he has an erection because although the cath is easier to put on, when the erection goes down the catheter is no longer tight enough and falls off.
In general it's probably not advisable to say to a patient "I'm going to put a condom on your member, but I'd prefer that you be aroused when I do it, let me know when you're ready". Particularly since if done properly it's just as easy to put a condom cath on when "limp", plus a condom cath that fits when aroused won't fit when flacid.
Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN
20,908 Posts
I have never, in 33 years, ever heard nor seen a nurse causing a patient an erection by stimulating the patient herself just to place a catheter. Actually if the patient happens to become erect during the insertion you need to leave the patient in privacy to "relax" as it is near impossible to insert a foley into the bladder of a patient with an erection.
Sometimes I think these member threads are started for the amusement of others like teenage girls giggling at someone by the name of Dick.
I have also never heard of a nurse requesting someone to get partial erection to place a condom cath as most that are in need of that particular device usually are not of the mind or capability of such a physical reaction.