Would this bother you?

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It seems our hospital UTI rate is increasing. So to improve this, ALL nurses must be retaught (I say retaught because didn't we learn this in nursing school?) how to insert a foley. We must be signed off on this. Anyone who has already been signed off can "teach" you, even if that person is a student doing a summer internship. No actions are being taken for physicians. Does this bother anyone?

I would not be upset about taking a refresher course. What if you have unknowingly picked up some bad habits over the years that you may not even think twice about. I am in no way saying that you are doing anything wrong but sometimes "two heads are better than one". Or possibly one of your coworkers is doing this and you see it and can inform them. It is just in the best intrest of your patient.

Specializes in ER.

I agree with earle that the pericare may have more to do with infection than insertion. Also, are Foley's being removed in a timely fashion? But an inservice/signing off would be a minor inconvienence.

Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, LTC.

I think its a good idea to have an inservice/check off if UTI rates are high. But it should be for everyone who inserts foley's and does peri care. I don't really care who checks me off, if they were checked off themselves.

Regarding students/young nurses checking off or teaching the skill, don't underestimate that they are learning as much from this as the person they are checking off. If you are open minded, you may find that this is a win/win situation. Everybody gets checked off on the skill when it's convenient and not sent to some boring class during their off/family time. Patient uti's indcidents should likely be reduced or at least the risk will. And as mentioned, a better understanding of teaching, better communication is all being addressed with a relative small task. It sounds like management did not blow a mole hill into a mountain with this one.

Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Naaaaaa...wouldn't bother me. I would think that the hospital has to do something about the increase in UTI's so re-teaching this is one way. I would also encourage everyone (MD's, RN's, CNA's, and such) about other ways to decrease UTI's for our patients (and themselves too).

*Like increasing water intake for one!

*Regular bathroom help.

*Hand washing, and proper peri cleaning.

*Eating right.

*Cranberry juice (but you have to have real cranberry juice that is more than 60% real juice...hard to find).

*Re-learn aspects of antibiotic therapies (many pts get the antibiotic tx and not remember that it is going to lower their natural flora...this can lead to not only UTI, but yeast infections and others...).

*Really watch your immunocomprimised or neutropenic patients and offer the above.

*and finding the underlying cause!

We had a increase a few months ago...and it was due to a high census of immoble immunocomprimised pts on lots of antibiotics! Hmmmm that is a recipe for UTI's! And it was helpful to know so we all worked hard as a team to lower the risk factors :).

Specializes in ICU/CCU, CVICU, Trauma.

Thank you all for your replies. They'll help me when I answer why we're doing this.

Specializes in M/S/Tele, Home Health, Gen ICU.

I agree with earle, I think peri care should be addressed too, after all there's more than one way to get an UTI with a foley! I'm not so sure about the correctness of student nurses signing of other nurses, but as long a a nurse has been declared competent in the task and able to test other nurses competency i have no problem with that.

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