Nurses' perceptions of urinary catheter selection and management

Nurses are often responsible for the initiation of catherization procedures for patients within the hospital or community setting. This nursing role requires contemporary information on catheter selection and problem solving in the maintenance of urinary catheters. A descriptive survey with a questionnaire sent to registered and enrolled nurses (N = 709) within an Australian metropolitan area health service was undertaken to determine their current knowledge level in relation to catheter care practices. Registered nurses represented 91% of the sample, with 66% of the entire sample having 7 or more years of nursing experience. Only 14% of nurses believed that their knowledge levels were adequate, with very few receiving postregistration education. Only 31% of the respondents recommended the use of purely silicone catheters, these being the least cytotoxic to the urethra for longterm use. Less than half of the respondents were unaware of the availability of female-length catheters. There was a general lack of knowledge of current catheter costs that would have major implications for unit budgets. The apparent gaps in nursing knowledge of catheter care suggest the need for urgent educational programs on catheter care practices for nurses within this service and the initiation of an area-wide standardized policy in catheter selection and management.