Assessing the Impact of a Preventive Care Bundle and Nursing Empowerment on Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract...

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) remain a major healthcare-associated concern despite being largely preventable. They contribute to prolonged hospital stays, increased antimicrobial resistance, and higher healthcare costs.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a structured CAUTI prevention bundle combined with a nursing empowerment program in a tertiary care hospital in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The objective was to update evidence-based practices, improve compliance with urinary catheter insertion and maintenance protocols, and enable nurses to independently discontinue catheters without a documented clinical indication.

Conducted between October 2023 and May 2024, the prospective single-arm intervention included 247 adult patients requiring indwelling urinary catheters across medical, surgical, and neurosurgical wards. CAUTI rates were measured according to CDC/NHSN (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Healthcare Safety Network) criteria, and bundle compliance was monitored using standardized audits.

The intervention led to a 73% reduction in CAUTI incidence, from 5.4 to 1.41 per 1,000 catheter-days. Nursing compliance improved markedly, rising from 56% to 93%, while catheter utilization remained stable. Additionally, the average catheter days per patient decreased by 41%.

These findings highlight the critical impact of structured protocols and nursing empowerment on reducing infection rates and enhancing clinical efficiency. The results support broader implementation of similar strategies in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030's healthcare improvement goals.