Exploring urinary catheters: the perspectives of patients and nurses

This literature review is part of a larger dissertation project that explores the lived experience of patients using long-term urinary catheters and nurses' attitudes towards urinary catheters. Systematic examination of the literature revealed six relevant primary research studies. These were critically appraised to assess their worth. Further studies were also reviewed, although these were often from neighbouring fields as relatively little research has been undertaken in this field. Findings suggest that there is a disparity between the care that nurses provide to patients with long-term catheters and the holistic care that patients need. Furthermore, nurses' decision-making skills are hampered by poor multidisciplinary documentation practices in the acute sector. It is concluded that nurses' attitudes towards urinary catheters do affect the care that patients receive.