Question about disposing of urine in sink

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Hi all,

though I am a nurse, I am not an ob nurse and I am asking this question as a patient. I went in today for my 12wk dr. Appt at my obgyn. The nurse asked me to pee and to bring the urine to the room where I waited to see the dr. The nurse then came in checked my urine with the dipstick and then dumped my urine down the sink drain in the room. This was the only sink in the room, also used for handwashing. Is

this a safe practice?

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I don't believe that's very sanitary. I always dispose of urine in the toilet.

Other than just washing your hands, I've seen people use sinks for bed baths (filling it up with water and soap and washcloths), etc. And when people drop things in the sink accidentally, they'll pick it right back up thinking it was just used to wash hands. So yeah, I don't think it's a safe practice to pour urine down the sink... just like how I don't think it's right to pee in the shower.

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Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.
I don't believe that's very sanitary. I always dispose of urine in the toilet.

Other than just washing your hands, people use sinks for bed baths (filling it up with water and soap and washcloths), etc. And when people drop things in the sink accidentally, they'll pick it right back up thinking it was just used to wash hands. So yeah, I don't think it's a safe practice to pour urine down the sink... just like how I don't think it's right to pee in the shower.

All of that makes me think "Eew" just as much as dumping urine down the sink does! Bacteria grow on sinks, even though they're "just" used to wash hands (those bacteria don't all make it down the drain). I've never seen the sink used that way (bed baths and such). We always use a basin. I also always wash anything that falls into the sink, because I consider it just as dirty as the floor.
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Thank you guys for responding! I feel better because I expressed my concern to the office manager regarding how unsanitary I felt it wash. She basically shut me down stating that they take OSHA class every year regarding how to dispose urine and that there doctors don't touch the sink when they wash their hands. There is a bathroom in the office that is not far from the examining rooms so it puzzles me why urine has to be dumped down the sink in front of pts like me that is nauseous 24/7 and is grossed out by such.

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As a CNA I was taught to pour urine in the toilet...it's listed on the state exam. But they didn't teach us that in my nursing fundamentals class...it wasn't talked about at all.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
Hi all though I am a nurse, I am not an ob nurse and I am asking this question as a patient. I went in today for my 12wk dr. Appt at my obgyn. The nurse asked me to pee and to bring the urine to the room where I waited to see the dr. The nurse then came in checked my urine with the dipstick and then dumped my urine down the sink drain in the room. This was the only sink in the room, also used for handwashing. Is this a safe practice?[/quote']

Well the urine is hopefully sterile :)

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I work in a clinic setting, and we just put the whole container (closed) into a red bin. Dumping it in the sink is disgusting.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

Sounds gross, but to me it is more the idea of it that is "icky" than that I actually have a legit issue with it. Still, I wouldn't do it.

At my (inpatient peds) job, we sometimes fill the sink with water and wash the babies right in the sink. Hope nobody pours urine in there!

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Specializes in Family practice, emergency.

Ew... groooooss.

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No because of potential for splashing and it would require sani wipe cleansing before used again.

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