Meanings and practical knowledge of people with long-term urinary catheters

The lived experience of people with long-term indwelling urethral catheters is described and interpreted. This hermeneutic (interpretive) phenomenologic study used Merleau-Ponty's philosophy and van Manen's methodology. Fourteen adults aged 35 to 95 years who had worn a catheter more than 4 months (range = 6 months to 18 years) comprised the purposive sample. Data were obtained through audiotaped and transcribed interviews conducted in the homes of participants. The study provided both meanings and practical knowledge related to the experience of catheter use. Despite its drawbacks, participants recognized the device's value in their daily lives and weighed its positive features against concerns associated with long-term use. Individual meanings included making aesthetic harmony with a new catheter, the convenience of the catheter compared with the inconvenience of incontinence, and the catheter as a symbol and reminder of one's mortality. Practical knowledge related to participants' awareness of their catheter needs and practices, such as features of supplies, intervals for changes, catheter insertions, emptying the urine bag, and changes associated with sex. Knowledge of the lived experience with a urinary catheter can assist nurses in sensitive decision making about care and help them become better patient advocates.