• To enhance your knowledge of the assessment, diagnosis and management of long-term urinary catheter blockages in community settings
• To identify and support patients who are at risk of catheter blockages, and advise them about potential preventative strategies
• To count towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD, or you may wish to write a reflective account (UK readers)
• To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers)
Self-management of long-term urinary catheters can be challenging for patients, and recurrent catheter blockages may cause concern among patients, carers and healthcare professionals. Catheter blockages are a significant challenge for nurses practising in community settings, because frequent and unplanned catheter changes can be costly to healthcare services in terms of time and resources. This article details evidence-based recommendations for the assessment and diagnosis of catheter blockages, as well as the identification of risk factors. It also explains the interventions that can be used to prevent and manage catheter blockages and describes the role of the nurse in supporting patients with a long-term catheter in situ in community settings.
Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2019.e11431
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondencecatherine.paterson@canberra.edu.au
Conflict of interestNone declared
Paterson C, Dalziell R, Forshaw T et al (2019) Prevention and management of urinary catheter blockages in community settings. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2019.e11431
Published online: 30 August 2019
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