Efficacy of a Targeted Foley Catheter Education Program

To improve surgical interns' confidence and competency in urinary catheter insertion and management, we designed an educational module addressing their common challenges, such as difficult placement and catheter discomfort.

A 1-hour urinary catheter educational session was delivered to first-year surgical residents in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years. The curriculum covered urethral anatomy, catheter types, managing urinary retention, troubleshooting measures, and management of catheter-related discomfort. Pre- and postcurriculum surveys assessed confidence levels with aspects of catheter management. Trends in catheter-related consultations by surgical services were examined 6 months before and after the education session. Paired t-test used to determine statistical significance. Significance set at p < 0.05.

About 24 nonurology surgical residents completed the pre- and postsurveys. Respondent reported a mean confidence increase from 3.04 ± 0.85 to 3.92 ± 0.72 in placing routine foley catheters (p < 0.05), 3.38 ± 0.97 to 4.08 ± 0.58 for male urethral anatomy knowledge (p < 0.05), 3.29 ± 0.99 to 3.83 ± 0.70 for female urethral anatomy knowledge (p < 0.05), and 2.08 ± 0.83 to 3.75 ± 0.61 for managing foley associated discomfort (p < 0.05). There was a decrease in the number of catheter consultations placed to urology by surgical services in the 6 months following the education session.

Our findings underscore the feasibility of implementing a foley catheter module and its potential to enhance resident confidence and reduce confusion regarding catheter management. Furthermore, the decrease in difficult catheter placement and catheter discomfort consultations may suggest early curricular efficacy in bolstering interns' catheter troubleshooting skills.