Is It A Widespread Hospital Practice For CNAs To Catheter Patients?

Amylcd · Jan 17, 2004

I'm taking a cna course right now and we will be learning how to do catheters.

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Jan 17, 2004

Thanks for responding, Amy.

Just thought I should clarify: I'm not talking about cleaning the outside tubing of the unit.

I'm referring to the process of placing the unit through the urinary tract and into the bladder.

allele, LPN · Jan 17, 2004

When I was a CNA I was trained at the rehab hospital I worked at to straight cath patients and insert indwelling catheters. I was part of a core group of 4 CNA's (1 on days, 1 on eves and 2 on nights) to be trained, and after 6 months if there were no increase in UTI's in the patients then all CNA's would be trained. That's what happened, all CNA's were trained. Since it was a rehab hospitals, there were a LOT of straight caths that needed to be done because of the spinal cord injuries, and it really took a load off the RN's and LPN's!! I certainly appreciated the extra help when I became an RN!! If I remember correctly they stopped allowing CNA's to insert indwelling catheters, I think because the BON disapproved of CNA's putting in the indwelling caths, but that's hardly a problem since there wasn't usually a need for indwellings in that setting anyway. I hope this helps. In the facilitly I'm in now the CNA's aren't allowed to do straight caths, but I don't work in an area where they're needed all that often anyway. :)

Burnt Out, ASN, RN · Jan 17, 2004

I know at the hospital I work at, the aides/assistants were allowed to insert caths-now they can only remove them...

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jan 17, 2004

I do catheters.

allnurses Guide · Jan 17, 2004

Nope, never heard of it.

steph

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Jan 17, 2004

(Yo, Marie -- "MedSurg Doormat" -- hahahahahaha! Don't wanna hear any of that -- you rock!)

bellehill, RN · Jan 17, 2004

The hospital I left 3 months ago the CNAs were allowed to to cateter insertion and removal. They were also allowed to do EKGs and remove IV sites, hang new tube feeding. They were trained specially how to do these things and were considered techs instead of aides. It was awesome to have a second set of hands to do some of the time consuming stuff.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jan 17, 2004

I can do caths, enemas (happy happy joy joy)maintain CBI's, hang tubefeeding, IV tubing priming and bag changes, count drip rates, flush saline locs, remove IV sites.

I was promoted to do this after finishing the first year of school with a certain number of clinical hours, and a list of what i'd done in those hours.

Ortho_RN · Jan 17, 2004

Nope.. at the hospital I work at Aides cannot insert foleys. They can only remove them. The most invasive procedure done by aides is CBGs

Gennaver, MSN · Jan 18, 2004

I'm an assistant and haven't had any of my nursing clinicals yet and have been inserting foley and straight catheters on the floor at my current hospital for over two years.

Lots of bladder programs on the rehab floor. Jeepers, lots.

I was a phlebotomist also before I came to my current hospital but, they have a one week course to train their assistants to draw blood. I don't reeeally recommend that for some people.

Jen

edited to add, oh yeah, and twelve lead ekgs, (which I think are pretty neat to get to do