How to undertake male urinary catheterisation
Intended for healthcare professionals
How to    

How to undertake male urinary catheterisation

Ruth Dekkers Advanced urology nurse practitioner, Worthing Hospital, Worthing, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To refresh your knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the male urinary system

  • To familiarise yourself with the procedure for undertaking male urethral catheterisation

  • To understand how various issues that may occur during catheterisation can be addressed

Rationale and key points

This article provides a step-by-step guide explaining how to prepare for and perform male urinary catheterisation in a safe, effective and supportive manner. Nurses undertaking this procedure must ensure they have the knowledge and skills to do so and work within the limits of their competence.

• Urethral catheterisation is an invasive procedure and carries a risk of infection. It should only be undertaken after thorough clinical assessment and when other alternatives have been considered.

• The procedure can be anxiety-provoking for the patient, so the nurse should explain what is involved and proceed carefully, while keeping the patient informed throughout.

• Due to the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infection, it is important to regularly review the patient’s need to be catheterised and the catheter should be removed as soon as practically possible.

Reflective activity

‘How to’ articles can help to update your practice and ensure it remains evidence-based. Apply this article to your practice. Reflect on and write a short account of:

• How this article might improve your practice when planning and undertaking male urinary catheterisation.

• How you could use this information to educate nursing students or your colleagues on the procedure for male urinary catheterisation.

Nursing Standard. 39, 9, 41-45. doi: 10.7748/ns.2024.e12150

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

ruth.dekkers@nhs.net

Conflict of interest

None declared

Dekkers R (2024) How to undertake male urinary catheterisation. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2024.e12150

Disclaimer

Please note that information provided by Nursing Standard is not sufficient to make the reader competent to perform the task. All clinical skills should be formally assessed according to policy and procedures. It is the nurse’s responsibility to ensure their practice remains up to date and reflects the latest evidence

Published online: 29 July 2024

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